Discovery or revelation? On metaphor in the language of physics

Investigations into the processes of metaphor creation and the uses of metaphor provide valuable insights into the language(s) of science. In particular, they can throw light on theory changes or ‘paradigm shifts’ in physical sciences. Metaphor is central to the construction of science and its discourse, but research on special languages has mainly focused on its role in term formation. As a consequence, metaphorical meaning making and understanding in the language(s) of science have been somewhat neglected. This paper first reviews contributions to the study of metaphor which can be relevant to the inquiry into the nature and understanding of metaphorical meaning in science, then proposes a framework for analysis of metaphorical processes in the language of physics, and finally provides some examples from the domain of particle physics. The aim is to create a new forum for debate on the nature of metaphorical processes in science and its implications for research into special languages, their terminology and their translation.