scholarly journals A Cognitive Study of Metaphors in the Glorious Qur’an: From a Linguistic to a Conceptual Approach

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
AWEJ-tls for Translation & Literary Studies ◽  
Mashael AlAjmi
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Abstract Concept ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Target Domain ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Arabic Linguistics ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Cognitive Study

The current study investigates the use of conceptual metaphors in the glorious Qur’an, focusing on four abstract concepts represented in the Qur’an through metaphors. These concepts are REWARD, HUMILITY, HYPOCRISY, and ARROGANCE, which recur in many positions in the Qur’an. The researcher takes up selected Qur’anic verses that carry these abstract concepts and analyzes them at two levels: linguistic and conceptual. The study’s main theoretical contribution is to show how a linguistic approach can be transformed into a conceptual one and how this enriches our understanding of abstraction. The linguistic analysis of the verses is supported by translations of Qur’anic meanings, interpretation of the verses, and cultivating the use of Arabic and English dictionaries. To perform the cognitive analysis, the researcher uses Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), which examines metaphor from two domains: the target domain, which is the abstract concept to be explained and the source domain, which is the mental mapping that helps us understand that abstract concept. The study finds that metaphors in the Qur’an are meant to be understood not only linguistically but conceptually too. It concludes by emphasizing the significance of a conceptual approach to the study of metaphor in the Qur’an not only for conceptual metaphor theory but also for the interpretation of the Qur’an and for Arabic linguistics.

scholarly journals How to Represent Abstract Concepts? From the Perspective of Conceptual Metaphor Theory

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-37
Author(s):  
Yanli Huang
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Comprehensive Understanding ◽  
Target Domain ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Image Schemas ◽  
The Third ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Concrete Concepts ◽  
Core Issues

How human understand and represent concepts is always a hot topic in cognitive psychology. According to the conceptual metaphor theory 1, 2, understanding and representing abstract concepts rely on concrete concepts via metaphoric mappings. In this review, we discussed three core issues with the aim to have a comprehensive understanding of conceptual metaphors. First, I describe the underlying process of metaphoric mappings. Lakoff and Johnson (1999) 2 put forward that the source domain (concrete concepts) can be used to represent the target domain (abstract concepts). The metaphoric mappings from source domains to target domains are characterized as image schemas, which structure and provide sensory-motor grounding for abstract concepts. Then, I concerned on the directionality (the second issue) and automaticity (the third issue) of metaphoric mappings. According to conceptual metaphor theory, metaphoric mappings have the directionality from the concrete domain to the abstract domain, which is an automatic and obligatory process with neither effort nor awareness. However, directionality and automaticity were debated by recent research. In this article, by focusing on the three important issues I provided a comprehensive review which would help deepen our understanding about the nature of metaphoric mappings.

scholarly journals METAPHORIC REPRESENTATION OF THE CONCEPTS OF CRIME AND INVESTIGATION IN DETECTIVE STORIES

2021 ◽  
pp. 24-35
Author(s):  
Doichyk O.Ya. ◽  
Tomash Ya.Z.
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Mental Activity ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Target Domain ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
Basic Frame ◽  
Detective Stories ◽  
A Chain

Purpose. The article dwells upon the range of conceptual metaphors with the target domains CRIME and INVESTIGATION verbalized in Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective stories. The research aims at tracing the cognitive mechanisms of conceptual metaphoric mappings which objectify the key concepts of the detective text: CRIME and INVESTIGATION. The analysis is done on the basis of the theoretical points of cognitive linguistic schools, namely the conceptual metaphor theory. The aim is achieved by completing the following tasks: singling out the key concepts of a detective story and tracing their conceptual correlations; schematic representing the basic frame of CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION; analyzing the cognitive mechanisms behind the metaphoric interpretations of CRIME and INVESTIGATION concepts; and describing metaphoric correlations of the basic frame slots (CRIME, CRIMINAL, DETECTIVE, INVESTIGATION).Methods, applied in the research, include contextual and descriptive analysis, conceptual analysis. The range of metaphors with the target domains CRIME and INVESTIGATION is analyzed according to the conceptual metaphor theory methodology.Results. In the detective stories under study the key concepts CRIME, CRIMINAL, DETECTIVE, and INVESTIGATION are represented by a certain set of metaphoric models. The metaphoric expressions that verbalize the concepts of CRIME and INVESTIGATION reveal their conceptual correlations with the concepts of DETECTIVE і CRIMINAL, which obtain further metaphoric interpretation according to these mappings.Conclusions. The research has revealed that the concepts of CRIME and INVESTIGATION have high capacity to be metaphorically interpreted due to their abstract nature. The target domain CRIME is associated with the following set of source domains: PERFORMANCE, GAME, A TANGLE / A PUZZLE / A CHAIN / A RIDDLE / MYSTERY / A LOCKED DOOR, BUSINESS, OCCUPATION, ENTERTAINMENT, MENTAL ACTIVITY, STORY, and PHENOMENON. The range of source domains which correlate with the target domain INVESTIGATION includes: JOURNEY, ROLEPLAY, HUNTING, CHASE, COMPLETING LINKS TO A CHAIN, MAKING VISIBLE, UNTANGLING, and ENTERTAINING ACTIVITY.Key words: frame, conceptual metaphor, range of metaphor, target domain, metaphoric mapping. Статтю присвячено дослідженню діапазону концептуальних метафор для референтів ЗЛОЧИН / CRIME та РОЗСЛІДУВАННЯ / INVESTIGATION у текстах детективних оповідань А. Конан Дойла. Метою статті є простеження когнітивних механізмів творення концептуальних метафор, що об’єктивують ключові концепти оповідань детективного жанру, – ЗЛОЧИН / CRIME та РОЗСЛІДУВАННЯ / INVESTIGATION. Аналіз здійснюється з опертям на положення провідних шкіл когнітивної лінгвістики, зокрема теорії концептуальної метафори. Реалізація поставленої мети відбувається шляхом виокремлення ключових концептів детективної розповіді та з’ясування їхніх концептуальних зв’язків; схематичного моделювання фрейму ДЕТЕКТИВНЕ РОЗСЛІДУВАННЯ / CRIMINAL INVES-TIGATION; аналізу механізмів творення концептуальних метафор, які об’єктивують концепти CRIME та INVESTIGATION і виявляють концептуальні зв’язки між слотами фрейму (CRIME, CRIMINAL, DETECTIVE, INVESTIGATION).Методи, застосовані в дослідженні, включають контекстуальний і концептуальний аналізи, метод суцільної вибірки, описовий метод. Визначення діапазону метафор концептів CRIME та INVESTIGATION здійснюється відповідно до положень теорії концептуальної метафори.Результати. У досліджуваних оповіданнях концепти CRIME, CRIMINAL, DETECTIVE, INVESTIGATION об’єктивовані певним набором метафоричних моделей. У метафоричних висловах, що об’єктивують концепти CRIME та INVESTIGATION у текстах оповідань, відображено їхні зв’язки з концептами DETECTIVE і CRIMINAL, які також отримують своє метафоричне осмислення в межах цих концептуальних метафор.Висновки. Дослідження показує, що високий ступінь метафоризації концептів CRIME та INVESTI-GATION зумовлений абстрактністю референтів. Концептуальний референт CRIME корелює з доменами PERFORMANCE, GAME, A TANGLE / A PUZZLE / A CHAIN / A RIDDLE / MYSTERY / A LOCKED DOOR, BUSINESS, OCCUPATION, ENTERTAINMENT, MENTAL ACTIVITY, STORY, PHENOMENON. Діапазон корелятивних доменів, які проєктуються на референтний домен INVESTIGATION, включає такі кореляти, як JOURNEY, ROLEPLAY, HUNTING, CHASE, COMPLETING LINKS TO A CHAIN, MAKING VISIBLE, UNTANGLING, ENTERTAINING ACTIVITY.Ключові слова: фрейм, концептуальна метафора, діапазон метафори, домен цілі, метафоричне мапування.

scholarly journals Le metafore di intensificazione in russo: la realizzazione linguistica del concetto di COMPLETEZZA

2018 ◽  
pp. 95-106
Author(s):  
Valentina Benigni
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Target Domain ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Source Domain ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Round Form

Adopting a data based approach, the study explores Russian intensifying metaphors of COMPLETENESS. A wide range of instantiations of the metaphor of COMPLETENESS is analyzed within the framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff & Johnson 1980), comprising achievement of a result (soveršennyj idiot), filled container (nabityj durak) and round form (kruglyj otličnik). The contrastive perspective (Russian-English-Italian) provides new insights on the mapping of the source domain of COMPLETENESS onto the target domain of INTENSITY in different languages and cultures.

scholarly journals A Cognitive Linguistic Approach to Life Metaphor in Tetralogy Laskar Pelangi

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Merry Lapasau ◽  
Sulis Setiawati
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Living Organism ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Target Domain ◽  
Research Support ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Rhetorical Devices ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
The World ◽  
Linguistic Approach

This study aims at finding the use of life metaphors in tetralogy Laskar Pelangi (hereinafter TLP). Data were analyzed in the framework of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) by using a descriptive qualitative approach. We found 21 life metaphors in TLP and the finding shows that the conceptual metaphor of life as a target domain is mapped into several diverse source domains, and they are: life is a fluid in a container, life is a journey, life is a living organism, life is a precious possession, life is dedication to others, life is a struggle,life is guidance, life is war, and life is hard work. It can be concluded that TLP is rich with the use of metaphors in describing the cultural events of the Malays in detail. The way how the Malay master the problems in their lives, how they see and understand the world, is made clear by their language, which is reflected in conceptual metaphors. The results of this research support the idea that metaphors are not just rhetorical devices to say something more stylistically but they are conceptual in nature and its existence can be different in each culture.

The structure of our concepts: A critical assessment of Conceptual Metaphor Theory as a theory of concepts

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peer F. Bundgaard
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Specific Domain ◽  
Conceptual Metaphors ◽  
Cross Domain ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
George Lakoff ◽  
Experimental Findings

Abstract George Lakoff and Mark Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory is by and large a theory of what (abstract) concepts are, how they are structured, and how this structure is acquired — i.e., by mapping of structure from one more concrete or sensory-motor specific domain to another more abstract domain. Conceptual metaphors therefore rest on “cross-domain mappings.” The claims to the effect that our abstract concepts are metaphorically structured and that cross-domain mappings constitute one of the fundamental cognitive meaning-making processes are empirical and can therefore be put to the test. In this paper, I will critically assess Conceptual Metaphor Theory as a theory of concepts in light of recent experimental findings. Many such findings provide evidence for the psychological reality of cross-domain mappings, i.e., that structure activated in one domain actually can perform cognitive tasks carried out in another domain. They do not, however, support the claim that the structure of our (abstract) concepts is still metaphorical, as Lakoff and Johnson claim — that is to say, that our mind actually does perform cross-domain mappings when we process conventional conceptual metaphors such as “Death is Rest” or “Love is a Journey.” Two conclusions can be drawn from this: (1) it is necessary to distinguish between cross-domain mappings (which are psychologically real) and the metaphoric structure of our concepts (which is not, in the sense that such concepts do not any longer activate cross-domain mappings when processed); (2) Conceptual Metaphor Theory is not an adequate theory of concepts. I will therefore sketch another more viable theory of concepts where the structure of our concepts is defined as the full ecology of their situations of use, which includes the kind of situations (objects, agents, interactions) they apply to and the kind of emotional, cognitive, bodily, and behavioral responses they elicit. On this view, the contents of our concepts are to be considered as vague predicates, with vague extensions, which take on a specific form in their situation of use.

scholarly journals A COGNITIVE STUDY OF METAPHOR TRANSLATION IN “TRAVELLING FAR AWAY FROM MT. JINGMEN”

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanshan Huang ◽  
Feng Wang
Keyword(s):  
Tang Dynasty ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Schema Theory ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
English Translations ◽  
The Tang Dynasty ◽  
Li Bai ◽  
Image Schema ◽  
Cognitive Study

<p>“<em>Travelling Far Away from Mt. Jingmen</em>” (渡荆门送别) is written by Li Bai, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty, on his way out of Sichuan. As a masterpiece of Li Bai’s poetry, the poem is full of imagination, making people unconsciously indulge in it. Since half lines of the poem are related to metaphors, this paper makes a detailed study of the metaphors in the poem and their English translations based on Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Image Schema Theory, and points out some characteristics of metaphor translation in the poem.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0666/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

scholarly journals A Three-Dimensional Spatial Metaphorical Representation of Generation Implied in Han Kin Terms

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huijuan Li ◽  
Jijia Zhang ◽  
Entao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Information ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
The Family ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Spatial Terms ◽  
The Brain

Abstract concepts can be represented in the brain by means of metaphors. Generation refers to seniority in the family or clan, implies the implementation of different attitudes required by kinship, and contains profound psychological, emotional, and social factors. Generation as an abstract concept is related to concepts such as power, social status, importance, and time. The conceptual metaphor theory based on the embodied theory proposes that abstract concepts are represented by actual sensorimotor experiences. Generation implied in Han kin terms is often represented by multiple spatial terms. According to conceptual metaphor theory, the current study predicted that generation could be represented by multiple spatial metaphors. We designed six experiments to investigate this issue. The results showed that (1) the up–down and left–right positions in which kinship words were presented affected the processing of the concept of generation; (2) the processing of kinship words also affected up–down and left–right spatial information perception; and (3) the processing of the concept of generation could also automatically activate the front–back spatial operation and induce the embodied simulation of body movement. In sum, the results suggested that generation might be represented by the three-dimensional spatial metaphor of vertical, horizontal, and sagittal axes, which are influenced by the sensorimotor system.

scholarly journals The Metaphor in the Conceptualization of Innovation in Lim Kok Wing's Writings

2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 01-13
Author(s):  
Nor Asiah Razali ◽  
Sabariah Md Rashid
Keyword(s):  
Education System ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Target Domain ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Careful Planning ◽  
Innovation In Education ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Education Innovation

The concept of innovation is prevalent and has been discussed in varied disciplines and published in various documents, such as educational magazines, books, and blogs. One example of such documentation is the writing on innovation by the late Tan Sri Dr Lim Kok Wing, compiled in a book titled "The Future is Coming". In education, innovation is required to transform the education system to prepare future generations for an innovation-driven economy. This study examined the concept of innovation using metaphorical expressions in writing on innovation in education. Specifically, it aimed to unravel the metaphor in the writings and to examine how the unravelled metaphors reflect the conceptions of innovation in education. In total, 42 written texts on innovation were included as data of the study. The data were analyzed based on Lakoff and Johnson's Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The findings of the study revealed seven salient conceptual metaphors underlying the expressions related to innovation in education. These metaphors involve the mappings of the source domains of JOURNEY, WAR, OBJECT, HUMAN BEING, SPORT, BUILDING, and FORCE to the target domain of INNOVATION. The unravelled metaphors underlying the writings on innovation suggest that innovation is conceived as a long process, which requires careful planning. The findings of the study provide insights into how innovation is conceived using metaphor, reflecting the ideas of a renowned brainchild of innovation in education in Malaysia, Lim Kok Wing.

scholarly journals Morphological Metaphor Mapping of Moral Concepts in Chinese Culture

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingjie Liu ◽  
Kang Li ◽  
Lina Li ◽  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Yuerui Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Culture ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Chinese Characters ◽  
Moral Norms ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Moral Concepts ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
The Right

According to conceptual metaphor theory, individuals are thought to understand or express abstract concepts by using referents in the physical world—right and left for moral and immoral, for example. In this research, we used a modified Stroop paradigm to explore how abstract moral concepts are metaphorically translated onto physical referents in Chinese culture using the Chinese language. We presented Chinese characters related to moral and immoral abstract concepts in either non-distorted or distorted positions (Study 1) or rotated to the right or to the left (Study 2). When we asked participants to identify the Chinese characters, they more quickly and accurately identified morally positive characters if they were oriented upright or turned to the right and more quickly and accurately identified immoral characters when the characters were distorted or rotated left. These results support the idea that physical cues are used in metaphorically encoding social abstractions and moral norms and provided cross-cultural validation for conceptual metaphor theory, which would predict our results.

scholarly journals Didactic potential of metaphors used in medical discourse

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 102-116
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Karska ◽  
Ewelina Prażmo
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Medical Discourse ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Conceptual Metaphors ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Cognitive Faculties ◽  
Multimodal Representations ◽  
The Impact

Specialist languages should be straightforward and unambiguous. In areas such as law, business or medicine precision and to-the-point wording is required. However, in order to facilitate the description of complicated matters, and especially in expert to non-expert communication, unexpected strategies, e.g. metaphorisation, are used. Conceptual metaphor theory, as initially introduced by Lakoff and Johnson (cf. Lakoff & Johnson, 1980) states that human beings tend to think in metaphors, i.e. we are engaged in constant search of similarities between concepts. This drive for pattern recognition helps us understand the unknown in terms of the familiar, the abstract in terms of the concrete. Most conceptual metaphors are grounded in our physical experience of the world, which means that we draw from this familiar experience while creating metaphorical mappings to the complex, abstract concepts. Controversial as it may seem, the same process applies to understanding professional terms and scientific notions, and as a result the language of law, business, medicine, etc. is heavily metaphorical in nature. In our presentation we focus on medicine alone and analyse a corpus of medical text in search of conceptual metaphors. We claim, that rather than obscuring the message, metaphors actually make it clearer and more precise. They enrich conceptualisation, structure the semantics of the message and serve a number of pragmatic functions, esp. in doctor to patient communication. By choosing a certain metaphor, the message may e.g. be softened in order to lessen the impact it has on the recipient. Moreover, it may be more easily understood if it is built on an adequate conceptual metaphor. Many metaphors used in the medical discourse are based on multimodal representations e.g. descriptions of diseases often invoke the imagery of food including its shape, colour, texture, and smell. Such multimodality of representation (cf. Forceville, 2009 and online) engages a number of cognitive faculties for the construction of a complex conceptualisation and in this way helps us gain better understanding of the concepts described. We claim that conceptual metaphor and esp. pictorial metaphor is a very effective tool used in didactics and its use is perfectly justified in scientific discourses, including the medical discourse. Therefore, in our presentation we analyse pictorial metaphors found in medical discourse and in the field of radiology in particular.

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