From classical scientific metaphors to information visualization: Digital visual grammar in the context of the embodied cognition theory

The author examines the process of transition from close reading to distant reading as a linguistic problem and an emerging new type of text - information visualization. The conjunction of textual and visual components is specific for information visualization. This paper describes the information visualization as a «new abstraction» (according to the definition given by Lev Manovich, a new media researcher). This definition actualizes the problem of interrelations between abstractions and metaphors. The author attempts to determine a genealogical connection between information visualization and metaphors, distinguishes linguistic, cognitive, metalanguage, systematic and structural aspects of metaphor understanding, and considers in details the aspects that can be adapted both for metaphor and information visualization. These aspects help to identify characteristics that show similarity and difference of metaphors and information visualization. In the final part of the article, the author gives a conclusion about the potential of studying visualisation information in the context of contemporary humanities research.