The PLUS-MINUS axiological parameter in selected sex-related orientational metaphors in Spanish and its role in interlingual contrastive studies

The purpose of this article is to verify the functioning of the PLUS-MINUS axiological parameter in the orientational sexual metaphors which exist in Peninsular Spanish. The initial premise of the investigation is based on the concept proposed by Tomasz P. Krzeszowski (1993), according to which, upon studying image schemas, an additional parameter called PLUS-MINUS should be taken into account. This parameter is considered by Krzeszowski as “directly responsible for the dynamism of the metaphorization processes inherent in the formation of concepts based on the relevant schemata. Among [them are] the concepts of varying degrees of abstraction and of varying degrees of axiological load”. The present paper aims to demonstrate that the inclusion of the PLUS-MINUS parameter is necessary for the correct reconstruction of the picture of particular elements of reality grounded in language. An attempt will be made to try to answer the question of whether the type of orientation is in fact associated with a particular axiological load universally, or whether the axiology connected with the spatial orientation may vary within a single system or two different language systems. In this respect, the final part of the paper will encompass some examples of linguistic manifestations of sex-related orientational metaphors in Spanish with their Polish counterparts.