A Cognitive Analysis Of Chinese Trademark Naming Based On Idealized Cognitive Model

Trademark is the mark of commodities and an important component ofadvertisement. Trademarks have aroused interest of economists and linguists. As atheoretical study, more and more attention is paid on trademark. There are so manyresearch literatures about trademark. Theoretical research becomes mature gradually intrademark field. Most scholars are focused on depicting linguistic phenomenon. Theyrarely interpret the cognitive situation behind trademark naming. Therefore, the depthand breadth of the trademark study is restricted. Based on the deficiency of previousresearches and the importance of trademark research, this study does furthersupplement.Trademark is a cognitive product in cognitive linguistics. Like a mirror, trademarkscan reflect the human language and thought. The research absorbs and learns fromacademic research results at home and abroad. From the point of view of cognitivelinguistics, the paper studies the process of trademarks formation. Chinese well-knownmarks are taken as samples. They have high popularity and are widely spread. ThoseChinese well-known marks are identified by the State Administration for Industry andCommerce. Through statistics, this paper summarizes the total Chinese well-knownmarks in1991-2012, and establishes a data base. All trademarks used in this thesis arechosen from the above data base.The author adopts ideal cognitive mode proposed by Lakoff in cognitive linguistics.There are four models in idealized cognitive model: propositional model, image-schemamodel, metaphor model and metonymy model. This study uses the four models ofidealized cognitive model. Chinese well-known marks are taken as sample in this paper.The author tries to explore the process of trademarks naming and the cognition situationof trademarks namers in this process. The author hypothesizes that the existence ofidealized cognitive model in trademark naming, sums up the two main idealizedcognitive model: the producing cognitive models and advertising cognitive model. Thispaper attempts to prove the explanatory ability of idealized cognitive model intrademark naming, as well as to explore the cognition situation of trademarks namers in trademarks naming. The study finds that the idealized cognitive model does affecttrademark naming. Under the influence of namers’ own factors, consumers’ factors andother external factors, two cognitive mechanisms, metaphor and metonymy can affectthe trademarks naming. The innovation of this paper is that it takes ICM of cognitivelinguistics as a new perspective to interpret trademark. The study expands theapplication scope of the idealized cognitive model, and helps to enrich and develop theidealized cognitive model. It can inject new vitality into trademark research in practice.