ArticleOpen Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/er.2024.07.020
Metaphor and Metonymy in the Formation of Modern Chinese Characters
Cheng Yu
Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, Jilin, China.
*Corresponding author: Cheng Yu
Published: August 12, 2024
Abstract
Conceptual metaphors and metonymy are fundamental theories in cognitive linguistics. They also play a significant role in the formation of modern Chinese characters. In this article, I begin by introducing the manifestations of conceptual metaphor and metonymy in the process of modern Chinese character formation. These include component semantic expansion, component ellipsis, and component arrangement. Subsequently, I delve into specific categories and examples of conceptual metaphors and metonymies in the formation of Chinese characters. Finally, the phenomena of 'metonymic chain' and 'metaphtonymy' are discussed. The study of Chinese characters has a rich historical tradition, and a fresh and insightful understanding of this intricate system can be gained by examining its formation through the lens of metaphor and metonymy.
Keyword
Modern Chinese character formation; metonymy; metaphor; metonymic chain; metaphtonymy
References
Goossens, Louis. (2003). Metaphtonymy: The interaction of metaphor and metonymy in expressions for linguistic actions. In Metaphor and Metonymy in Comparison and Contrast, edited by René Dirven and Ralf Pörings, 349-377. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Huang, Dekuan. (2005). Annotation on the Genealogy of Ancient Characters. Beijing: The Commercial Press.
Lakoff, George, and Mark Johnson. (1980). Metaphors We Live By. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Lakoff, George, and Mark Turner. (1989). More Than Cool Reason: A Field Guide to Poetic Metaphor. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Li, Xueqin. (2012). Etymology. Tianjin: Tianjin Ancient Books Publishing House.
Qian, Zhongli. (2020). Dictionary of the Origins and Development of Chinese Characters. Beijing: Sinolingua.
Wang, Ning. (2018). Introduction to Chinese Character Morphology. Beijing: The Commercial Press.
Wang, Yin. (2007). Cognitive Linguistics. Shanghai: Shanghai Language Education Press.
Xu, Tongqiang. (2019). Language Theory—Structural Principles and Research Methods of Semantic Languages. Beijing: The Commercial Press.
Ye, Wenxi. (2018). Semantics Tutorial. Beijing: Peking University Press.
Zhang, Weiwei. (2021). Metaphor and Metonymy Studies. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.
Copyright
© 2024 by the author(s).
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not modified or adapted.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
How to cite this paper
Metaphor and Metonymy in the Formation of Modern Chinese Characters
How to cite this paper: Cheng Yu. (2024). Metaphor and Metonymy in the Formation of Modern Chinese Characters. The Educational Review, USA, 8(7), 1007-1014.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/er.2024.07.020