The Metaphorical and Metonymical Conceptualizations of the Term Sea (Hai) in the Four-Character Chinese Idioms

Bibliographic Data

ID5900774
AuthorsYali Zhao (0009-0006-3604-6766, Beibu Gulf University, corresponding author), Nor Fariza Mohd Nor (0000-0001-7929-351X, National University of Malaysia), Imran Ho Abdullah (0000-0003-0909-1802, National University of Malaysia)
Year2023
Volume8
Issue4
Pages260
Publication date2023-11-07
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLanguages (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2226-471X • E-ISSN: 2226-471X
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/languages8040260
OpenAlexW4388452275
LanguageEN
References cited22

This paper investigates the term "sea" (hai) in the four-character Chinese idioms according to conceptual metaphor and metonymy theory, attempting to illustrate their conceptualization, determine their possible underlying motivations, and explore Chinese maritime thought and culture. Based on idiomatic expressions, three types of conceptual metaphors are identified: abstract qualities of concrete entities are the sea, abstract entity is sea, and a certain aspect of a human being is sea. Moreover, the four types of conceptual metonymies are the part for the whole, the whole for the part, the place for the product, and the place for the responsible deities or goddesses. They are motivated by a culture of worship of and accordance with nature, the pursuit of achievements in traditional Chinese literature, "man paid, nature made" as the attitude towards the ups and downs of life, and a self-centered conceptualization of the world. The maritime culture represented in these conceptualizations comprises fear of and respect for the sea, harmony between humans and the sea, and static-dynamic integrations of river, land, and sea. The findings show that the motivations of these conceptualizations do not only originate from the embodiment and Chinese philosophy of the unity of heaven and humanity but are also constrained by the most influential talent selection mechanism, the Imperial Examination System, as well as by agriculture, the foundation of the economy in ancient China

Aesthetics · Art · Character (mathematics · Conceptual metaphor · Conceptual system · Conceptualization · Epistemology · Harmony (color · Humanity · Linguistics · Metaphor · Metonymy · Sociology · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition · Mathematics · Philosophy · Psychology · Swearing, Euphemism, Multilingualism

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access