Dynamic body parts in Estonian figurative descriptions of emotion
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Ene Vainik
Abstract
This study applies cognitive metaphor and metonymy theory to Estonian descriptions of emotion that reference body parts. Body parts like the chest and heart are conceptualized as containers for emotion. More common is the figurative exploitation of the dynamic, changeable parts of the head, in particular the face, the eyes, and lips. No correspondence seems to hold between specific emotions and specific body parts. Most are used to refer to both positive and negative emotions, the latter found to be more frequent. Interestingly, the conceptual metaphors good is up and bad is down are not always applicable: up does not always convey good in Estonian body part expressions, but rather means activated, with either a positive or negative evaluation. It is proposed that conceptualizations are made from either an Emoter’s or an Observer’s perspective and are found to correlate with metaphorical and metonymic codings, respectively.
Abstract
This study applies cognitive metaphor and metonymy theory to Estonian descriptions of emotion that reference body parts. Body parts like the chest and heart are conceptualized as containers for emotion. More common is the figurative exploitation of the dynamic, changeable parts of the head, in particular the face, the eyes, and lips. No correspondence seems to hold between specific emotions and specific body parts. Most are used to refer to both positive and negative emotions, the latter found to be more frequent. Interestingly, the conceptual metaphors good is up and bad is down are not always applicable: up does not always convey good in Estonian body part expressions, but rather means activated, with either a positive or negative evaluation. It is proposed that conceptualizations are made from either an Emoter’s or an Observer’s perspective and are found to correlate with metaphorical and metonymic codings, respectively.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Acknowledgments ix
- Introduction 1
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Part 1. European perspectives
- The relevance of embodiment to lexical and collocational meaning 23
- Dynamic body parts in Estonian figurative descriptions of emotion 41
- Contrasting body parts 71
- head and eye in German and Indonesian figurative uses 93
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Part 2. East Asian perspectives
- Speech organs and linguistic activity/function in Chinese 117
- Inner and outer body parts 149
- A cultural-linguistic look at Japanese ‘eye’ expressions 171
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Part 3. Middle Eastern and North African perspectives
- Conceptualizations of cheshm ‘eye’ in Persian 197
- Figurative dimensions of 3ayn ‘eye’ in Tunisian Arabic 213
- The apocalypse happens when the feet take the position of the head 241
- Index 257
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Acknowledgments ix
- Introduction 1
-
Part 1. European perspectives
- The relevance of embodiment to lexical and collocational meaning 23
- Dynamic body parts in Estonian figurative descriptions of emotion 41
- Contrasting body parts 71
- head and eye in German and Indonesian figurative uses 93
-
Part 2. East Asian perspectives
- Speech organs and linguistic activity/function in Chinese 117
- Inner and outer body parts 149
- A cultural-linguistic look at Japanese ‘eye’ expressions 171
-
Part 3. Middle Eastern and North African perspectives
- Conceptualizations of cheshm ‘eye’ in Persian 197
- Figurative dimensions of 3ayn ‘eye’ in Tunisian Arabic 213
- The apocalypse happens when the feet take the position of the head 241
- Index 257
