Seeing clearly: Frame Semantic, Psycholinguistic, and Cross ...

CHAPTER 3. OTHER COGNITIVE APPROACHES 120
f. Through the piles of leaves . . . , the dogs picked up the scent of the escaped
prisoner.
Thus we could say that there is a folk theory of vision which is \extramissive", in which
vision or the \gaze" travels from the eyes to the seen. Let us agree with Lako that this
is an example of the more general metaphors perception is touch and perceptual
organs are limbs, and further that, since we have found that the motion can be con-
strued in either direction, that both directions can be subsumed under the more general
metaphor perception is contact between perceiver and perceived. We need not
agree exactly with Lako that the prepositional phrases in Ex. (5) make the main verbs
metaphorical, but the examples in Ex. (4) and (5) do suggest that perception events can
be construed as metaphorical motion, and that this metaphorical motion can be in either
direction.
When we look at perception which is per se metaphorical, such asrecognize, we
often nd these combined with metaphorical motion as well, but the mappings are somewhat
di erent. As Lako (1995:141) points out, what is usually the content of perception as
in Ex. (5-a) also can be a metaphorical goal, as in Ex. (5-b).
Furthermore, the experiencer can be construed as a goal and the stimulus as
a source, both of the physical perception and of the knowing. This mapping works best
when the metaphorical motion is from stimulus to experiencer, as in Lako 's example,
(6) John looks sick to me from the pictures.
There are many other ways to express judgements of this sort without the to and
from, and hence, the suggestion of motion, as in Ex. (7).
(7) a. When I saw the pictures, I was convinced John was sick.
b. Judging by the pictures, John must be sick.
c. Based on how he looks in the pictures, I'm sure John is sick.
When the main verb is see, the direction of motion is presumably from experiencer
to percept, yet we still get blends with a PPfrom; thus these can be either a physical starting
place for eye, or the abstract starting place for the mental event that leads to knowing;