1
Stage 1 of 3
metaphora
Greek · ancient
"a transfer, a carrying over"
literally a carrying over, from meta (over) and pherein (to carry)
2
Stage 2 of 3
metaphore
French · 1500s
"a figure of speech comparing two things"
carried into French rhetorical vocabulary
3
Stage 3 of 3
metaphor
English · 1500s
"a figure of speech applying a word to something not literally applicable"
settled as the word for a figure of speech applying a word to something it doesn't literally denote
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