Glossary of Linguistic Terms

Target Domain

Definition: 

A target domain is a semantic domain that is structured and understood metaphorically in terms of another domain.

Examples: 

Here are some examples of the domain of quantity, to which the verticality schema is applied in the more-as-up and less-as-down metaphors expressed in the following:

  • The crime rate keeps rising.
  • The number of books published each year keeps going up.
  • That stock has fallen again.
  • Our sales dropped last year.

Source: 
276–277, 288

Glossary Hierarchy