FLOWER AS A CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR IN MANDARIN

• Main Authors: Tsai Hui-ju, 蔡蕙如
• Other Authors: Chen Yung-yu
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/19583916682813141514

碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 語言學研究所 === 96 === The title of this study is Flower as a conceptual metaphor in Chinese. Since Lakoff and Johnson (1980) published their epochal theory of conceptual metaphors, metaphorical usage in human language could no longer be considered as a decorative device of literary writing. Metaphors are now redefined as a process of our cognitive development. They are pervasive in everyday life. They are not just representation of the speakers’ thought and action in language. They are thought and action in themselves. This study takes “hua”、“Flower” as its research focus, and try to answer the following question: Can Lakoff and Johnson’s frame-work understood as in four points as below, can be applied to Chinese data. 1. From a source domain to its target domain, that is, from concrete forms to abstract concepts. 2. Metaphorical mapping is cross-domain mapping and metonymic mapping is mapping within one domain. 3. The mapping of Chinese flower metaphor conforms to “Invariance Hypothesis.” 4. Language universality is found within the Chinese flower metaphor and English metaphor. Besides a positive answer to the question above, one of our main findings is , human cognition is destined for a broad conceptual cognition rather than a mere physical function. To follow this logic, the main points of this thesis can be confirmed.