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Animal Metaphors in Idioms

Author: LiZuo
Tutor: ZuoXiuGui
School: Guangxi Normal University
Course: Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Keywords: Idiom Animal Metaphors Cognitive mechanisms Chinese Contrastive
CLC: H313
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2010
Downloads: 982
Quote: 2
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Abstract

Lakoff and Johnson that we rely on everyday conceptual system of thinking and action, in essence, is metaphorical. The metaphor is not only a linguistic phenomenon, more basic cognitive way to understand the world around them, and the formation of the concept of human universality. At the same time, the existence in the the the thinking level conceptual metaphor decision and control language use metaphorical expression. In recent years, at home and abroad cognitive linguists found that the characteristics of the human way of thinking through the analysis of conceptual metaphor in language facts a lot of research. Inspired by them, the authors selected idiom for the study, carried out a comparative study of English and Chinese. The idioms can say the core of the language. Formation of a nation's historical background, economic life, the geographical environment, customs, psychological state is closely linked to the condensation of the rich cultural connotations. Psycholinguist study confirmed many idioms essentially metaphorical. Metaphor, metonymy, as well as common sense, they can be explained. Visible characteristics in order to find the various ethnic groups thinking in the Perspective of Cognitive Linguistics Research idiom is feasible and effective. However, the idiom as cultural mirror, all-inclusive, and is impossible to analyze. Therefore, this article contains animal names idiom for the focus of the study, a comparative analysis of English and Chinese idioms involving animal metaphor. The lives of animals and people, the awareness of things important to the beginning of one of the source domain. People in long-term contact with animals, very rich understanding of the animal. Projected onto the animal's appearance, habits and characteristics of humans and a variety of things or phenomena, to form the animal metaphor. Animal-related idioms expressed in the two languages, the list goes on. English: \, \However, enumerating the domestic and foreign scholars on the study of animal metaphors, little discussion based on the theoretical framework of cognitive linguistics, corpus select a certain lack of systemic lupus. Therefore, based on the theory of cognitive linguistics, comparative analysis supplemented by more systematic corpus metaphorical projection of all kinds of animals, extended appraise meaning of righteousness, the scope and characteristics of the target domain, and trying to reveal the animal metaphor formed motivation and so on. Choose English and Chinese Idioms Dictionary Rook, screening and animal-related idioms to create a closed corpus. (Alice Deignan, 2001) the book English summary of the most common animal classification as a reference, the animals were divided into two categories: the generality of animal names and animal names. Which the specific name of the animal is divided into three sub-categories: domestic animals, farm animals, wild animals. Britain, the number of Chinese idioms precipitation in a closed corpus contains animal names and metaphorical usage of 49 and 215; 14 kinds of animal species and 15 kinds of 12 pairs; establish correspondence between English and Chinese animal. By analyzing the corpus, found that: first, the animals are mainly used to constitute the conceptual metaphor \Another three animal metaphor: \ANIMALS). Second, the British, the Chinese, the majority of animal metaphors derogatory. The proportion is 67.5% and 62.5%, respectively. Third, the projected semantic contrast in English and Chinese idioms, the same animal imagery is almost completely different. 7 semantic implied only 6 species of animals, the proportion was only 10.37%. Another case is a different animal imagery to express the same semantic English and Chinese. The study found that 11 kinds of meaning consistent with the situation. And in the same language, select a different animal imagery to express the same semantic. English said \Chinese \The English single Metaphor dual Vehicles idiom is only 5.77%; Chinese idioms to use more double Yu structure, the proportion of 63.43%. Fifth, Deignan (2005) study shows that the domain of animal origin metaphorical use often into adjectives or verbs, such as: \. This paper studies found containing metaphorical usage of English and Chinese are the noun form of the animal name. In short, the closed corpus created a more objective and reflect the idiom usage of the system, to better reveal the level of the similarities and differences of the two English-Chinese ethnic thinking through language facts. The results, including the two languages ??in the same animal metaphorical projection serious unequal situation analysis of the teaching and learning of English idioms, the C translation inspiration. Admittedly, the coverage limited to the author's knowledge and papers, many aspects of the article remains to be further improved and perfected, the author explore and try, after all, a metaphor for the cross-language study provides some facts reference. This study as an opportunity, and I found a lot of space can continue to expand research study of animal metaphors, such as how to make more systematic, and we have a lot of work to do.

Animal Metaphors in Idioms

Abstract

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