A Cognitive Approach To "Face" Expressions

The thesis supports the philosophy of"embodiment", verifies my own cognitive model of"face"expression, that is, a continuum from"literal meaning—metonymic meaning—metaphoric meaning". The thesis also verifies the metonymic and metaphoric mechanisms proposed by Taylor (1995) and Grady (1997). The thesis draws its conclusions based on evidences of proving metonymic and metaphoric mechanisms:1. Human beings understand the outside world based on the cognitive procedure from"five organs"to"information at heart";2. Human beings name objects or entities by the way of thinking"naming based on human body";3. The continuum of"face"expressions in English and Chinese extensions"PART, WHOLE OF HUMAN BODY—RELATIONS and INTERACTION—EMTIONS and CHARACTER—DIGNITY and PRESTIGE—SPATIAL METAPHOR"verified human language evolution.