Home Linguistics & Semiotics Facts, feelings and temperature expressions in the Hindukush
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Facts, feelings and temperature expressions in the Hindukush

  • Henrik Liljegren and Naseem Haider
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
Search
The Linguistics of Temperature
This chapter is in the book The Linguistics of Temperature

Abstract

Indo-Aryan Palula (Pakistan) is spoken in a part of the mountainous Hindukush region characterised by sharp climatic and altitude contrasts. In this study, five central temperature terms are investigated and related to tactile temperature, ambient temperature and experiencer-based (i.e. personal-feeling) temperature: táatu ‘hot/warm’, šidáalu ‘cold’, húluk ‘heat’, šidaloó ‘coolness’, and šid ‘coldness’. A few salient correlations between particular expressions and the type of experience involved are identified: First, temperature adjectives are restricted to the domain of rational experience, whereas temperature nouns typically are associated with expressions that refer to thermal (and subjective) comfort or ambient temperature. Second, while temperature evaluated or measured directly by touching an entity tends to be grammatically encoded as noun modification, the subjective experience is expressed with the temperature noun as a stimulus acting upon a non-nominative experiencer. Finally we discuss a few semantic extensions into the human temperament/propensity domain, such as ‘affection is warmth’ and ‘anger is heat’.

Abstract

Indo-Aryan Palula (Pakistan) is spoken in a part of the mountainous Hindukush region characterised by sharp climatic and altitude contrasts. In this study, five central temperature terms are investigated and related to tactile temperature, ambient temperature and experiencer-based (i.e. personal-feeling) temperature: táatu ‘hot/warm’, šidáalu ‘cold’, húluk ‘heat’, šidaloó ‘coolness’, and šid ‘coldness’. A few salient correlations between particular expressions and the type of experience involved are identified: First, temperature adjectives are restricted to the domain of rational experience, whereas temperature nouns typically are associated with expressions that refer to thermal (and subjective) comfort or ambient temperature. Second, while temperature evaluated or measured directly by touching an entity tends to be grammatically encoded as noun modification, the subjective experience is expressed with the temperature noun as a stimulus acting upon a non-nominative experiencer. Finally we discuss a few semantic extensions into the human temperament/propensity domain, such as ‘affection is warmth’ and ‘anger is heat’.

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.107.14lil

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 20.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/tsl.107.14lil/html
Scroll to top button