An Analysis of Image Schemas in Selected English Superstitious Sayings
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25130/Lang.10.2.P1.17Keywords:
Keywords: cognitive semantics, conceptual metaphor, embodied experience, image schemas, superstitions.Abstract
The present study examines image schemas in English superstitions from a cognitive semantics perspective. Image schemas, which have become a trend in cognitive linguistics, are conceptual structures derived from recurring embodied experiences, and they facilitate the understanding of both abstract and concrete concepts. The study explores the contribution of image schemas in interpreting the meaning of superstitions. Moreover, it aims to shed light on how everyday life experiences are conceptualized, as it is obvious that superstitions are basically an indispensable belief and practice of every culture. The data of the study was collected from books on superstitions, focusing on well-known English superstitions. The study presents a descriptive, qualitative analysis that investigates English superstitions using Johnson’s (1987) image schemas by identifying and categorizing them according to the image schema types and the conceptual metaphors they motivate. The analysis of the research has revealed several image schema types that exist in English superstitions, namely CONTAINER, PATH, PART-WHOLE, FORCE, CONTACT, LINK, CYCLE, SCALE, and NEAR-FAR schemas. In addition to that, applying image schemas to English superstitions demonstrates that they are grounded in recurring embodied experiences that map onto abstract notions like luck, protection, danger, or fate through conceptual metaphors.
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