Cognitive Study On Chinese Spatial Metaphors

The cognitive research on metaphor is an important part of cognitive linguistics and the mainstream in western metaphorical study at present. The cognitive view of metaphor places great emphasis on the role of human perception and cognition and regards metaphoric process as mapping of one domain onto another domain. This thesis makes a cognitive study on Chinese spatial metaphors, with the aim of supporting and perfecting the contemporary cognitive theory of metaphor.This thesis studies contemporary theory of metaphor, analyzes the advantage and disadvantage of conceptual metaphor theory, and suggests an interpreting method-metaphorical force. By using Antunano's hypothesis of property selection process and Boers's theory of parameter of variation to analyze the influencing factors of metaphorical force, the thesis provides a persuadable explaining theory and an able analyzing method to describe working mechanism of metaphor. Finally, the thesis applies metaphorical force to analyze Chinese spatial terms used in temporal representations as well as in Chinese appellations.This thesis mainly studies the following issues:1.Metaphor is not just a linguistic phenomenon but also a cognitive means which results in new development of words at language level.Metaphor is such a cognitive means that makes many existences of polysemy because metaphorical thinking one term in another results in transference of word meanings. By investigating Chinese spatial terms used in time, we find that, with the death of their metaphorical meanings, spatial terms get more new meaning items.2. The investigation of Chinese spatial metaphors partly supports Lakoffian conceptual metaphor theory and provides evidence to prove that metaphor research is a way to investigate human mind through language analysis.Metaphor research, from the aspect of linguistics, involves conceptual system, language system and their embodiment relation. By analyzing of language system, we can learn how our conceptual system works. In the use of Chinese lexis, we can find much evidence for the metaphorical extension of spatial concepts. This throwslight on investigation of human thinking underlying this metaphorical extension.3. Metaphorical thinking process throws some light on how certain Chinese compound words are formed and collocated. This has much significance to investigate the development of Chinese language.By investigating Chinese spatial metaphors, we find that, it is the metaphor thinking process that makes the terms in both domains be collocated together and these collocations widely exist in Chinese compound words. For example, it is the metaphor GOOD IS UP that makes "good" plus "up" form top-grade (shang hao in Chinese), the metaphor BAD IS DOWN that makes "low" plus "bad" form inferior (di lie in Chinese).4. Based on the weakness of Lakoffian conceptual theory in interpreting spatial metaphors, we propose an interpreting means-metaphorical force, which is much easier to make clear how metaphors are formed between two domains.Based on Lakoffian conceptual metaphor theory and through analyzing Chinese spatial metaphors and their metaphorical extensions, we put forward with an interpreting method-metaphorical force. By applying the interpreting means to analyze Chinese spatial terms used in temporal representations as well as in Chinese appellations, we conclude that such interpreting method is a persuadable explaining theory and an able analyzing method to describe working mechanism of metaphor.