Context, Meaning, and Language
One
Metaphor is a transference of meaning from one context to another.
You enrich the meaning of concept A, in context A, by comparing it to concept B, in context B. Thanks to the comparison, concept A is seen in context B and takes on additional meaning. This is one way that a living language grows and changes.
Some contexts include others. The overall context of a language is its complete literary canon. And you could define a language as a massive set of inter-referential metaphors.
A new word or concept is first defined by its context alone. “The angry XYX gripped its prey with its six-inch claws.” In English, the word order establishes the part of speech and the role of the word. Associated descriptive words and nouns and verbs add to that context. The more usage examples, the clearer the meaning.
Two
The meaning of the present is defined by its context — both its past, how it became, and its future, what it is becoming.
Three
When reading a printed book that we hold in our hands and that we advance through by turning pages, we perceive text in context — both backwards and forwards. And when reading an electronic book, we perceive text as a series of words presented in order, with the position on the page and the number of pages dependent on screen size and reader choice.
Since meaning derives from context, the printed book has different and perhaps richer meaning than its electronic equivalent.
