A Data-based Study On Cognitive Motivations Of Cross-Language Emotion Concepts

Human emotions, though rich and colorful, are difficult to be defined. Theexpression of emotions can be done either non-verbally or verbally, i.e. speaking ofemotions by means of linguistic expressions. Settling language study from cognitiveperspective, cognitive linguistics discusses the relationship between cognition andlanguage and further analyzes the cognitive orientation reflected in the language.The study on emotional expressions can provide access to cognitive motivationsbehind the emotion conceptualization. Cognitive metaphor theory holds thatmetaphor is regarded more as a cognitive approach than a linguistic phenomenon.The cognitive studies on emotion concepts have shown that metaphor and metonymyplay vital roles in the process of conceptualization.The thesis attempts to make a data-based comparative study through thecategorization and classification of the metaphorical and metonymical concepts ofthe four kernel emotions (happiness, anger, sadness and fear), aiming at probing intothe cognitive motivations and cultural models for the explanations of the similaritiesand discrepancies between English and Chinese. It proves that both metaphor andmetonymy are employed in emotion conceptualization. Based on the universalbodily experience, plenty of similarities are shared in the conceptual metaphors andthese metaphors can be reduced to an overarching master metaphor—EMOTIONIS FORCE. The same metonymic principle followed in the two languages is toexpress emotions by means of the physiological, psychological or behavioralresponses. The specific body organs used to convey emotions could be explainedfrom different cultural models. The thesis ends with the interpretations of thefunctions of metaphor and metonymy in the emotion conceptualizations and therelation between metaphor and cultural models.