A Study On Basic Symbol And Its Inner Mechanism Of Metaphoricity

The phenomenon of symbol, with a profound history, is essential and omnipresent in human culture. This thesis is devoted to the studies on"basic symbol"to reveal its nature, features, connotations and functions. It also discusses the inner mechanism of metaphoricity in"basic symbol", showing how"basic symbols"are formed and selected through the human metaphorical cognition. The two types of"basic symbol", namely"metaphorical basic symbol"and"metonymic basic symbol", are analyzed with rich examples of basic symbols from ordinary life. This study will shed light on the different significance and applications of these two mechanisms.Chapter One gives a general introduction to the research of basic symbol, briefly setting out the rationale and purposes of this research. It explores the nature of basic symbol and gives a general delimitation of the symbol system by setting forth a general definition and by distinguishing it from"sign".Chapter Two presents a historical literature review of the studies on basic symbol which is closely related to the present research. This review focuses on the major theories of basic symbol and symbolism in the West. This chapter also provides a review of the metaphoricity studies which are of great importance to the analysis of symbolism.Chapter Three is intended to classify the basic symbols in terms of their attribute, form, structure, origin and connotation (or function) and to reveal the nature of the phenomenon of basic symbolism.Chapter Four attempts to analyze the relationship between symbolism and metaphoricity. It explains how symbolism is formed and how the metaphoric and metonymic mechanisms function in its formation. Finally, it discusses the application and function of the two mechanisms, namely metaphor and metonymy, in symbolism.Chapter Five concludes the research with a retrospect and prospect, offering the main findings and pointing out the possible directions of further researches.