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Volume 11, Issue 2
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Abstract

Abstract

Inspired by the notions of body-based and culturally specific , this study sheds light on the interface between body and culture in the Amharic conceptualization of ‘eye.’ Applying the “lexical approach”, this paper examines the eye-related metaphors in Amharic monolingual and bilingual dictionaries. At the bodily level, the widespread conceptual metaphors and , and the metonymies and () are present in Amharic. In the cultural dimension, is related to the concept of the “evil eye”, which associates the eye with mystical powers. However, contrary to the widespread superstitious belief of the “evil eye” in other cultures, the notion of the “evil eye” in Amharic is associated with the concept of --a class of people socially segregated due to their economic status and their supposedly accursed lineage. This study shows that the presence of similar conceptual metaphors (“vision-light”, “vision-knowledge”, and “eye-emotion/personality” metaphors) and cultural beliefs (the “evil eye”) in different languages/cultures does not necessarily entail equivalent conceptualization.

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2024-10-10
2025-04-17

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The interface between body and culture in the figurative conceptualization of the “eye” in Amharic
Cognitive Linguistic Studies 11, 296 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1075/cogls.22007.men
/content/journals/10.1075/cogls.22007.men
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): ayn; buda; conceptual metaphor; embodiment; “evil eye”

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