ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how the manifestations of metaphoric meaning in language help to shape and develop thoughts, both consciously and unconsciously, by adopting a usage-based approach. It discusses metaphor as a social phenomenon and what this entails for metaphoricity as a concept. The chapter outlines some of the most relevant usage-based theories and presents an outline of the Lexical Priming theory. The theory is based on both individual and collective primings, which govern how we structure language and associate meaning based on such patterns. It is argued that the theory has the ability to contribute in an original way, to our understanding of metaphor. The theory presents a usage-based account for both the psychological motivation behind the understanding of language and the ability to use language fluently to communicate within a given context. The theory accounts for both spoken and written language within particular domains.
