A Study On Synaesthetic Metaphors From A Cognitive Perspective

This paper attempts to conduct a study from a cognitive perspective on synaesthetic metaphors which entail transfers between perceptual domains. Traditionally, synaesthesia is regarded as a figure of speech, functioning as ornamental devices. This paper, however, from a cognitive perspective explores synaesthetic metaphors' neural and experiential basis, finding that naturally synaesthetic metaphors are primary metaphors. The paper, for the first time, draws on three theories in cognitive linguistics, namely Lakoff and Johnson's Embodied Philosophy, Grady's Primary Metaphor Theory, and Fauconnier and Turner's Conceptual Integration Theory, to probe into the nature of synaesthetic metaphors and explore the meaning construction process of synaesthetic metaphors. As a result, the relationship between language and thought is revealed.The paper consists of six chapters. First a brief introduction to the present thesis is presented. Then an overview of multidisciplinary studies of synaesthesia is presented with a discussion of the relationship between strong synaesthesia (referring to the real co-sensation) and weak synaesthesia (referring to the intersensory associations), which is based on Cytowic's and Day's analysis. From the discussion, a conclusion is reached that synaesthetic metaphors (i.e. weak synaesthesia) may have some neural and psychological underpinnings. The main part of the paper is chapters 3,4 and 5. In these three chapters, the author, on the basis of the three theories in cognitive linguistics, enquires into the nature of synaesthetic metaphors and comes to three important conclusions: (1) Synaesthetic metaphors are neurally and phenomenologically embodied; (2) They are Primary Metaphors; (3) Their processes of meaning construction are dynamic processes of conceptual integration. At last, conclusions are drawn and some proposals for further research are mentioned.