TCM AND CIT – TWO OPPOSING THEORIES OR THE ENDPOINTS OF THE SAME PROCESS?

Sažetak: This article examines and deals with relations between the two theories that were created within the framework of cognitive linguistics – theory of conceptual metaphor (TCM) and the conceptual integration theory (CIT). The answer that is tried to be comprehended here is whether these two theories are two opposed and conflicting approaches to language and cognitive phenomena or two mutually conditioned theories. If it appears that it would be better to speak of two mutually conditioned theories, i.e. the two faces of the same conceptual reality, this article will consider at the same time the nature of that relationship, as well as it will try to determine conditions under which one of these theories, in relation to the other, can be considered for more desirable and appropriate model of language description.