Um estudo semântico da metáfora em parábolas

Abstract

This master’s thesis has as its focus the metaphorical meaning built in biblical discourses under the perspective of word semantics. This study aims to analyze the sense built in the biblical discourse using the metaphor as a linguistic tool, recurring to the studies of word semantics. It has as its theoretical basis the reflections of Paul Ricoeur (2015) in his work Living Metaphor with an emphasis on the study IV “The metaphor and the semantics of the word”, a foundation to understand the implications of the metaphor. This investigation is initially based on the Rhetorical Studies, which have the word as a reference unit, and then studies the displacement and the extension of the meaning of words that originate the metaphor. It is highlighted the opposition between the semiotics (form), where the word is considered a sign in the lexical field, and the semantics (meaning), where the sentence has the minimal and complete significance. The theorical reflection is complemented with the view of Tony Berber Sardinha that categorizes the types of metaphor, and also the historical contributions of the parables as proposed by Kenneth Bailey, together with John MacArthur. They are permeated by the contributions of the textual genres studies, especially of Mikhail Bakhtin and Luiz Antônio Marcuschi. The choice of the biblical texts as the corpus of analysis is justified by the understanding that the Bible is one the best-selling and most translated books in the world. By its wide popularity, its texts provide many possibilities to widen the analyses in the metaphor studies. The epistemological perspectives that permit the investigation of the discursive context of the text’s origin and use are considered. We hope to contribute to the scientifical study about the meaning in the biblical texts that serves as a basis for posterior studies and readings. By this research, we understand that the metaphor has the word as a reference unit, which is projected in the sentence, and, by the simultaneity, builds definite meanings in the textual context.