Conceptual Metaphors in Some Christian Praise/Worship Songs in Nigeria

Abstract

This is a pragmatic study of the naturally occurring speech situations from Praise/Worship songs in the 
church context. The study involves a detailed consideration of the various contextual features needed 
and necessary for the understanding of discourse by identifying and systematically interpreting the 
various conceptual forces behind the utterances of the people in the songs selected. The author 
integrates the Mey’s pragmeme and Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) conceptual Metaphor. Conceptual 
Metaphor according to Lakoff is a powerful instrument to facilitate communication. It is a conceptual 
precepts shared by members of the same culture. The findings shows that contextual features are most 
attached to the production and interpretation of speech. And that language is understood as a product 
of general cognitive abilities (Timothy & Aremu, 2016). It establishes the fact that there are other 
aspects of meaning which the congregation derived that are not taken solely from the meaning of words 
in the praise/worship songs. And as a result of this, the composers and the singers should be mindful of 
what they compose and of cause what they lead people to sing or what people sing.