Perception and Metaphor：A Comparative Perspective Between English and Chinese

Cognitive linguists believe that metaphors are prevalent in human thought, while metaphorical structures are reflected at the linguistic level. Therefore, analyzing extensive language data can aid in revealing the metaphorical mappings of embodied experience with the senses of vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and temperature. This volume seeks to discover the similarities and differences of metaphorical systems of English and Chinese.

Adopting a comparative view, the authors examine the semantic extensions of perception words in English and Chinese, in order to reveal the metaphorical scope of each sense and the metaphorical system behind it. They argue that the metaphorical system of the senses not only helps us understand and use conventionalized metaphorical expressions but also allows us to create novel expressions. The findings also unveil how abstract concepts are constructed via cognitive mechanisms such as image schema and metaphor.

This title is a useful reference for scholars and students who are interested in cognitive linguistics, comparative linguistics, and philosophy of languages.