Cognitive Linguistic Studies - Volume 10, Issue 1, 2023

Abstract

The article deals with a comparative analysis of the English over and the Russian language items that serve as its approximate translation equivalents. The main attention is on such Russian equivalents of over as the prepositional phrases nad with the instrumental case, čerez with the accusative case, za with the accusative case and po with the dative case, as well as the prefixes pere- and pro-. The research is undertaken using the Cognitive linguistic framework or, more precisely, the theory of conceptual metaphor. The aim of the article is to analyse the Russian language means of coding the spatial relations that are similar to those expressed by the English over and to trace patterns of extension of spatial meanings into non-spatial domains in these languages. The study reveals that although English is an analytic language and Russian is a synthetic (fusional) language and, therefore, they use different means to express meanings, similar conceptual-metaphorical motivations of semantic extensions can be traced in both languages.

Abstract

This study investigates how wine pics construct visual winespeak through investigating the metaphor and metonymy in the Japanese manga, Drops of God. The study demonstrated that metonymy has the indicational function to help others understand the winespeak quicker and can be elaborated as a visual metaphor as suggested in previous studies (Isabel Negro Alousque 2015; Zahra Kashanizadeh & Charles Forceville 2020). Two metonymies related to winespeak include the smell and mouthfeel of the wine. Four common source domains of metaphor in visual winespeak, human, nature, art, and activity have been identified. The study further utilized the Visual Narrative Grammar (VNG) proposed by Neil Cohn (2013a, 2013b, 2015, 2020) to examine the roles of metaphor and metonymy in visual winespeak. Visual winespeak can be deconstructed as establisher, initial, prolongation, peak, and release. Findings suggest that the VNG corresponds with the procedure of wine tasting, which involves attack, evolution, and aftertaste (Rosario Caballero, Ernesto Suárez-Toste & Carita Paradis 2019; Adrienne Lehrer 2009). Also, results show that it is possible to predict the positions of metonymy and metaphor in a narrative of visual winespeak. Metonymy usually occurs in the establisher, and metaphor tends to be presented in the peak. Their positions in a narrative further indicate their function. The usage of metonymy aims to set up a concrete and general setting, and metaphor is used to create a climax. In general, the findings show that, although metaphor and metonymy play different roles in a narrative, they co-construct a comprehensive and detailed visual narrative to elaborate a winespeak.

Abstract

This paper offers a cognitive semantic analysis of 185 nominal-nominal compounds that are used to express Japanese traditional colors (e.g., budoo-nezumi [grape-rat] ‘plum purple’). It explores the types of nominals adopted into compounds, the components’ semantic relations, and the types of metonymy involved in the meaning construction. The most frequently found semantic relations of the two components of the compounds are: (i) color of the ‘right’ blended with color of the ‘left’, where both components are construed metonymically via whole for the part (e.g., budoo-nezumi [grape-rat] ‘plum purple’ is a blend of two colors: grey, expressed by nezumi ‘rat’ (whole), standing for the animal’s hair color (part), and dark purple, expressed by budoo ‘grape’ (whole), standing for the fruit’s skin color (part)); and (ii) color of the ‘left’, expressed by the X-iro [X-color] compound (e.g., kohaku-iro [amber-color] ‘amber’). While both components in the X-iro compounds are typically used literally, overall, 65% of the 185 compounds involve metonymy (whole for the part, action for result, among others), suggesting the important role played by metonymy in meaning construction of the compounds expressing Japanese traditional colors.

Abstract

This article compares abstract concepts and metaphorical classes in order to emphasize the abstract nature of metaphorical classes. Sam Glucksberg (2003) used the expression “abstract superordinate categories” to refer to metaphorical classes. Drawing on this proposal and George Lakoff & Mark Johnson’s (1980) conceptual metaphor theory, this article suggests that metaphorical classes and abstract concepts share three essential features: (1) members of abstract concepts and metaphorical classes are highly diverse and heterogeneous; (2) both metaphorical classes and abstract concepts are highly reliant on situations and culture; (3) both metaphorical classes and abstract concepts are reliant on semantic associations and external concepts rather than intrinsic properties. Therefore, it may be claimed that metaphorical classes are a special group of abstract concepts with a special type of behavior.

Abstract

In this article, we evaluated the theory of defense mechanisms from the cognitive linguistics perspective. We chose two basic image schemas of container and path-goal and reviewed three psychodynamic psychotherapy textbooks and two psychology dictionaries to extract passages defining defense mechanisms by one of the selected image schemas. Seventeen defense mechanisms were extracted, categorized, and discussed according to their underlying image schemas. In conclusion, we suggest that the development of the defense mechanisms could be traced back to the early interactions of an infant with the physical environment. Moreover, there might be a relationship between the adaptive levels of the defense mechanisms and the chronological development of image schemas in an infant’s mind, e.g., defenses defined using the image schema of container are usually less adaptive than defenses defined using the image schema of path-goal.

Abstract

Set in the contemporary public discourse about the Serbian language, this paper demonstrates how metaphors of and about language constructed with the source domains of violence and war (e.g., language occupation, language as battlefield, to fight for language) may serve nationalistic political aims and act as conflict-inciting messages, under the pretenses of typical language purism or ‘language care’. The concept of pseudometaphor is introduced as a figuration-based discursive strategy whereby metaphors for language, underpinned by the language-language users metonymy, may serve as tools for covertly conveying controversial messages about their respective language users. The analysis covers public discourse published in a span of eight years (2010–2018), involving institutionalized language and political campaigns, and less institutionalized public language debates. As convergent evidence for pseudo-metaphoricity of the language-war/violence metaphors and their potential for instigating inter-ethnic conflict, the analysis includes critical voices that expose the dominant ideology through literalization of their metaphorical models.

Abstract

Previous studies have mainly focused on orientational, structural and ontological metaphors of happiness, and have not distinguished between luck and happiness; the latter in many languages originates from the former. This research aims to bridge these gaps by examining event-structure and object (possession) metaphors of 8000 hits for happiness and luck in the corpora of English, German, Greek, and Slovene. Our results suggest that luck is cross-linguistically perceived as non-pursuable and as an entity outside a person through numerous object (possession) metaphors of luck, or as a deity based on many stationary-ego metaphors of luck. In contrast, happiness is understood as pursuable (through frequent quest metaphors of happiness) and as an entity within a person. This research proposes an embodied cognition model which includes orientational, psychological, and culture-specific embodiments to account for the cross-linguistic universalities and differences. Our study could contribute to overall human understanding of these two important concepts.

Abstract

This article brings together the extensive literature on figurative language and translation into a single framework to serve translators in a directly practical way in their practice/training. It encourages a view of figurativeness as the norm rather than the exception and figurative language as a flexible meaning-making resource rather than an obstacle to contend with. All language is characterized as figurative because of the indeterminacy of language and the partial nature of meaning making; all translation is viewed as non-literal because of the lack of exact correspondences between languages and the need to use near equivalents. Two approaches are recommended: (1) recreating the ‘semantic space’ of the source rather than mechanically matching its lexicogrammar; (2) viewing metonymy and metaphor as ‘master tropes’ and translating other tropes in terms of relatedness. The challenges of translating metonymy and metaphor in discourse at the level of the whole text are also explored.

Abstract

Versailles humblebragging is becoming an increasingly pervasive pragmatic and linguistic phenomenon since late 2020 in face-to-face and social media communication in China. Despite its ubiquity, there is a relative paucity of empirical research on this new phenomenon, particularly on the reactions of followers in the digital communicative context and the self-identities constructed by the posters, as well as the theoretical limitations to explicate the social cognitive factors behind the novel pragmatic behavior. This study integrated pragmatic and social cognitive theories to conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses of the responsive strategies followers used and the self-identity the humblebraggers built in this phenomenon. Based on the data retrieved from Chinese social media Weibo, we have found generally two major types of responsive strategies, namely the explicit and implicit. A majority of followers employed the implicit strategies to express their acceptance and liking with a preponderance of clicking the “like” affordance, suggesting that Versailles humblebragging helps to build good interpersonal relationship on Weibo. We have also identified seven types of self-identities and explored the underlying factors from the perspective of social cognition. It might be concluded from the findings that certain social and cultural shared beliefs, values and patterns of life are potent factors in shaping Chinese posters’ interpretation of themselves and other people.

Abstract

A live-show painting is a unique art experience and more unique is the live-show painting that takes place amid an interaction between the artist and his audience. The discourse taking place consists in an artist who is receiving propositions from his audience while painting. The present study is a cognitive discourse analysis of the interaction artist/audience in line with a semiotic analysis of the content of the resulting painting. Since the resulting painting blends the mental representations of the artist with those of the audience, this live-show painting is framed within a complex conceptual integration network that is a triple-scope rather than a double-scope network. The framework is Gill Fauconnier & Mark Turner’s (2002) Conceptual Blending Theory that fits into the understanding of the interaction artist/audience during the live-show painting. Thus the present study investigates a perceived interface between visual art, discourse, and Cognitive Linguistics.

This article reviews Modeling Irony: A Cognitive-pragmatic Account978-9-02721-081-4978-9-02725-8-144$ 143.00

This article reviews The Linguistics Wars: Chomsky, Lakoff, and the Battle over Deep Structure97801997403389780197608654£ 25.99