Home Linguistics & Semiotics The semantics and metaphorical extensions of temperature terms in Gurenɛ
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

The semantics and metaphorical extensions of temperature terms in Gurenɛ

  • Samuel Awinkene Atintono
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
Search
The Linguistics of Temperature
This chapter is in the book The Linguistics of Temperature

Abstract

Temperature phenomena are universal, and languages show diversity in the ways in which they express the experience of temperature linguistically (Sutrop 1998; Plank 2003; Koptjevskaja-Tamm & Rakhilina 2006; Koptjevskaja-Tamm 2011). I explore these phenomena in Gurenɛ, a Gur language of the Niger-Congo family, using both elicited and spontaneously occurring data, to discuss the semantics of temperature terms such as ma’ɛ ‘be cold’ and tulegɛ ‘be hot’. The speakers employ a range of linguistic terms to describe, evaluate and categorise temperature phenomena based on touching objects, personal-feeling and ambient experience. To a large extent, speakers’ use of these terms and evaluation of temperature is influenced by their experience of the tropical weather which categorises their social and cultural activities. The terms cut across three word classes: verbs, adjectives, and nouns, and are used to describe both tactile and non-tactile temperature. Of particular interest in the Gurenɛ data are the metaphorical extensions of concepts from the temperature domain to describe human emotions and social situations. A unique feature of these metaphorical expressions is that the use of the same temperature term to predicate a different part of the human body may bring about different semantic interpretations. Thus, when ma’ɛ ‘be cold’ is predicated of a person’s head it denotes absence of illness but when it is predicated of a person’s stomach it implies an illness.

Abstract

Temperature phenomena are universal, and languages show diversity in the ways in which they express the experience of temperature linguistically (Sutrop 1998; Plank 2003; Koptjevskaja-Tamm & Rakhilina 2006; Koptjevskaja-Tamm 2011). I explore these phenomena in Gurenɛ, a Gur language of the Niger-Congo family, using both elicited and spontaneously occurring data, to discuss the semantics of temperature terms such as ma’ɛ ‘be cold’ and tulegɛ ‘be hot’. The speakers employ a range of linguistic terms to describe, evaluate and categorise temperature phenomena based on touching objects, personal-feeling and ambient experience. To a large extent, speakers’ use of these terms and evaluation of temperature is influenced by their experience of the tropical weather which categorises their social and cultural activities. The terms cut across three word classes: verbs, adjectives, and nouns, and are used to describe both tactile and non-tactile temperature. Of particular interest in the Gurenɛ data are the metaphorical extensions of concepts from the temperature domain to describe human emotions and social situations. A unique feature of these metaphorical expressions is that the use of the same temperature term to predicate a different part of the human body may bring about different semantic interpretations. Thus, when ma’ɛ ‘be cold’ is predicated of a person’s head it denotes absence of illness but when it is predicated of a person’s stomach it implies an illness.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of Maps viii
  4. Acknowledgements x
  5. Introducing “The linguistics of temperature” 1
  6. PART 1. Africa
  7. “Hard sun, hot weather, skin pain” 43
  8. The semantics and metaphorical extensions of temperature terms in Gurenɛ 73
  9. Unravelling temperature terms in Sɛlɛɛ 107
  10. Lexicalisation of temperature concepts in Gbaya (an Ubanguian language of C.A.R.) 128
  11. Climate, temperature and polysemous patterns in French and Wolof 151
  12. Temperature terms in selected African languages 187
  13. PART 2. Eurasia
  14. Adjectives of temperature in Latvian 216
  15. What’s hot and what’s not in English and Serbian 254
  16. In the warmth of the Ukrainian temperature domain 300
  17. Asymmetries in Italian temperature terminology 333
  18. Temperature terms in Modern Greek 354
  19. Temperature terms in Modern Eastern Armenian 392
  20. Facts, feelings and temperature expressions in the Hindukush 440
  21. Blowing hot, hotter, and hotter yet 471
  22. Temperature adjectives in Finnish 491
  23. Temperature terms in Nganasan 537
  24. Temperature terms in Khalkha Mongolian 570
  25. Temperature terms in Lao, Southern Zhuang, Southern Pinghua and Cantonese 594
  26. Subdomains of temperature concepts in Japanese 639
  27. Why is it not cool? Temperature terms in Indonesian 666
  28. PART 3. The Americas
  29. Temperature domain in West Greenlandic 703
  30. “There is no thermostat in the forest” – the Ojibwe temperature term system 721
  31. Temperature terms and their meaning in Yucatec Maya (Mexico) 742
  32. Temperature terms in Mapudungun 776
  33. Temperature terms in Hup, a Nadahup language of Amazonia 792
  34. PART 4. Australia and Oceania
  35. Bardi temperature terms 815
  36. Temperature terms in northern Vanuatu 832
  37. Temperature terms in Kamang and Abui, two Papuan languages of Alor 858
  38. PART 5. Typology
  39. The syntax of temperature predications 889
  40. Subject Index 917
  41. Language Index 929
  42. Name Index 931
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.107.03ati

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of Maps viii
  4. Acknowledgements x
  5. Introducing “The linguistics of temperature” 1
  6. PART 1. Africa
  7. “Hard sun, hot weather, skin pain” 43
  8. The semantics and metaphorical extensions of temperature terms in Gurenɛ 73
  9. Unravelling temperature terms in Sɛlɛɛ 107
  10. Lexicalisation of temperature concepts in Gbaya (an Ubanguian language of C.A.R.) 128
  11. Climate, temperature and polysemous patterns in French and Wolof 151
  12. Temperature terms in selected African languages 187
  13. PART 2. Eurasia
  14. Adjectives of temperature in Latvian 216
  15. What’s hot and what’s not in English and Serbian 254
  16. In the warmth of the Ukrainian temperature domain 300
  17. Asymmetries in Italian temperature terminology 333
  18. Temperature terms in Modern Greek 354
  19. Temperature terms in Modern Eastern Armenian 392
  20. Facts, feelings and temperature expressions in the Hindukush 440
  21. Blowing hot, hotter, and hotter yet 471
  22. Temperature adjectives in Finnish 491
  23. Temperature terms in Nganasan 537
  24. Temperature terms in Khalkha Mongolian 570
  25. Temperature terms in Lao, Southern Zhuang, Southern Pinghua and Cantonese 594
  26. Subdomains of temperature concepts in Japanese 639
  27. Why is it not cool? Temperature terms in Indonesian 666
  28. PART 3. The Americas
  29. Temperature domain in West Greenlandic 703
  30. “There is no thermostat in the forest” – the Ojibwe temperature term system 721
  31. Temperature terms and their meaning in Yucatec Maya (Mexico) 742
  32. Temperature terms in Mapudungun 776
  33. Temperature terms in Hup, a Nadahup language of Amazonia 792
  34. PART 4. Australia and Oceania
  35. Bardi temperature terms 815
  36. Temperature terms in northern Vanuatu 832
  37. Temperature terms in Kamang and Abui, two Papuan languages of Alor 858
  38. PART 5. Typology
  39. The syntax of temperature predications 889
  40. Subject Index 917
  41. Language Index 929
  42. Name Index 931
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 12.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/tsl.107.03ati/html
Scroll to top button