Term and Professionalism: towards the Specificity of Metaphorization (Based on English Business Lexicon)

Purpose: The aim of the study is to identify both common and distinctive properties of metaphorical terms and professionalisms. The object of the research is a selection of commonly used words which have undergone metaphorical
transformation and acquired terminological or professional status denoting specific business phenomena.
Methods: The lexical units under investigation were selected from a number of lexicographic sources by means of continuous sampling.
Results: The examples obtained illustrate that terminology tends to regular metaphorical patterns based on some intellectual features. Professional vocabulary is characterized by certain semantic-motivational heterogeneity and tendency
to idiomaticity.
Discussion: The article discusses some distinctive features of metaphorical derivation in the area of terminology and professional business lexicon in modern English. The study supports conclusions made by linguists about the special
status of the term as a lexical unit performing epistemological function.