Jakobson's Theory: Metaphor and Metonymy

The question asks to identify the theorist who proposed that metaphor and metonymy are the two fundamental structures of language. This concept is central to the work of Roman Jakobson.

Roman Jakobson's Linguistic Framework

Roman Jakobson, a prominent linguist and literary theorist, extensively analyzed the functions of language. He identified two primary modes of combining linguistic units:

• Combination (Selection): This operates based on similarity, likeness, or analogy. Jakobson associated this mode with metaphor.
• Context (Combination): This operates based on contiguity or association. Jakobson linked this mode to metonymy.

Jakobson argued that these two fundamental structures, metaphor (similarity) and metonymy (contiguity), underlie various aspects of language use, including poetry and everyday speech.

Analysis of Theorists

• Ferdinand de Saussure: Focused on the structure of language as a system of signs, emphasizing the arbitrary relationship between signifier and signified, and the concepts of langue and parole.
• J.L. Austin: Known for his work on speech act theory, focusing on the performative nature of language and how utterances perform actions.
• Roman Jakobson: Directly proposed the dual structural basis of language through metaphor and metonymy.
• Victor Shklovsky: A key figure in Russian Formalism, known for concepts like "defamiliarization" in literature, but not specifically for proposing metaphor and metonymy as the two fundamental structures of language.

Conclusion

Based on his significant contributions to understanding language structure and poetic function, Roman Jakobson is the theorist who holds that metaphor and metonymy are the two fundamental structures of language.