Colors as Conceptual Metaphors of Emotions in English and Thai:A Cognitive Linguistics in Focus

Assoc.Prof.Chatchawadee Saralamba, Ph.DThammasat UniversityBangkok, Thailand

Aims of the study

To investigate the relationship between colors and emotions through English and Thai

To study the conceptualization of emotions through language and culture

Basic Assumptions

Language and cognition Language is a window onto cognition;

linguistic expression in part refects cognitive process and structures.

The linkage of conceptual metaphor Conceptual metaphor systematically links

metaphorical expressions to underlying conceptual metaphors by positing conceptual mappings between two conceptual domains.

Topics of Presentation

Conceptual Metaphor in Cognitive Linguistics

Emotions and Conceptual Metaphor

Colors as Emotion Conceptual Metaphors in English vs. Thai

The Conceptualization of Emotion Conceptual Metaphors

Conceptual Metaphor in Cognitive Linguistics What is metaphor?

A fgure of speech: one thing is compared to another.

What is (conceptual) metaphor in Cognitive Linguistics? The generalizations governing, metaphorical

language are not in language, but in thought; they are general mappings across conceptual domains. (Lakoff, G. & M. Johnson, 1980)

Emotions Concepts

Emotions are our feelings, extras in Psychology, like perception, thinking and learning

Emotions are in our bodies as tingles, hot spots and muscular tension. There are cognitive aspects, but the physical sensation is what makes them really different.

Primary emotion

Secondary emotion Tertiary emotions

Love

Affection

Adoration, affection, love, fondness, liking, attraction, caring, tenderness, compassion, sentimentality

LustArousal, desire, lust, passion, infatuation

Longing Longing

Joy

Cheerfulness

Amusement, bliss, cheerfulness, gaiety, glee, jolliness, joviality, joy, delight, enjoyment, gladness, happiness, jubilation, elation, satisfaction, ecstasy, euphoria

ZestEnthusiasm, zeal, zest, excitement, thrill, exhilaration

Contentment Contentment, pleasurePride Pride, triumphOptimism Eagerness, hope, optimismEnthrallment Enthrallment, raptureRelief Relief

Surprise Surprise Amazement, surprise, astonishment

Anger

IrritationAggravation, irritation, agitation, annoyance, grouchiness, grumpiness

Exasperation Exasperation, frustration

RageAnger, rage, outrage, fury, wrath, hostility, ferocity, bitterness, hate, loathing, scorn, spite, vengefulness, dislike, resentment

Disgust Disgust, revulsion, contempt

Envy Envy, jealousy

Torment Torment

Sadness

Suffering Agony, suffering, hurt, anguish

SadnessDepression, despair, hopelessness, gloom, glumness, sadness, unhappiness, grief, sorrow, woe, misery, melancholy

Disappointment Dismay, disappointment, displeasure

Shame Guilt, shame, regret, remorse

Neglect

Alienation, isolation, neglect, loneliness, rejection, homesickness, defeat, dejection, insecurity, embarrassment, humiliation, insult

Sympathy Pity, sympathy

Fear

HorrorAlarm, shock, fear, fright, horror, terror, panic, hysteria, mortification

NervousnessAnxiety, nervousness, tenseness, uneasiness, apprehension, worry, distress, dread

Conceptual Metaphor and Emotion

What is Conceptual Metaphor? A coherent organization of experience, in

terms of source domain and target domain.

A conceptual metaphor is defned as understanding a more abstract conceptual domain in terms of a less abstract and more concrete domain. Source domain concrete

Target domain - abstract

Conceptual Metaphor and Emotion

How do we understand emotions? By colors.

A kind of natural phenomenon.

Colors convey different messages to people in different cultures.

Colors source domain

Emotion- target domain

Colors as emotion conceptual metaphors in English Red Anger

To see red = lose ones temper; become suddenly angry My boss saw red when I told him that I would not

be coming to work today.

Red Embarrassment Red in the face

I became red in the face when the teacher asked me a question.

Blue Sadness, depression Have the blues = to be sad or depressed

The man next door seems to have the blues.

To get the blues = to become sad or depressed The dull cloudy weather has caused me to get the

blues.

To look/feel blue = look/feel sad, depressed. She is feeling blue today.

Green Envy Green with envy = to be very jealous, to be

full of envy I was green with envy when I heard that my cousin

would be going to London for a week.

Green-eyed monster = jealousy The woman was consumed by the green-eyed

monster and it was affecting her life.

Pink Joy Tickled pink = to be very pleased or delighted

by someone or something My mother was tickled pink that you visited her

when you were in town.White Fear As white as a ghost = very pale because of fear

or shock of illness My sister became as white as a ghost when she

saw the man at the window.

Brown Bored (under annoyance) To be browned off = to be bored, fed up

Im browned off with this place. There is nothing to do here.

English Colors for emotions

Structure of expression

The combinations of body part + color

Body parts can be / na / face and /taa/ eye

Colors as emotion conceptual metaphors in Thai

Red /daeng/ anger, embarrassment and joy: with face na daeng = to have red face

khaw krot con na daeng

he - angry-till- face-red

Hes got a red face.

khw hua-r con na daeng

he - laugh - till- face red

/taa daeng/ sadness = to have red eye taa khw rem daeng

eye-he- begin- red

Hes got red eyes = he is sad, almost crying.

Colors as emotion conceptual metaphors in Thai

Green /khiw/ is for anger: with body part / na/ face and /taa/ eye taa khiw

eye-green

khw mOOng taa khiw

he - look - eye- green

He looked (at me) with green eyes.

na khiw face-green

khw krot con na khiw

He is angry until his face turns green.

White /khaw/ Fear, anxiety /na sit khaw/ face-pale-white

pale and white faceBlack /dam/ sadness.

It follows the word /na/ face / na dam/ black face sadness

khw kht mak con na dam khrm-krat he-think-much-until-face-black-seriousHe thought seriously, his face turned black.

Anger with /naa-dam na daeng/ black and red face , for disputation. me- kha thing kan na dam na

daeng

seller - dispute -each other-face-black-face-red

The sellers had a disputation, they are angry very much.

Colorless fear na thot sii/ - colorless on face

face-off-color = colorless

khw klua con na thot sii

he- fear- till- face- off- color

He looks pale because of fear.

Thai colors for emotions

The conceptualization of Emotion Conceptual Metaphors by Colors, English vs. Thai

EMOTION IS A FLUID IN A CONTAINER Human body is a container for emotion

Emotion is a fuid in the container

Increase the level of pressure stands for emotion

Becoming any emotion is becoming color

Color for emotion

Emotion is color

ANGER IS RED

EMOTION IS A FLUID IN A CONTAINER Human body is a container for Emotion

Anger is a fuid in the container

Increase the level of pressure stands for Anger

Becoming angry is becoming red

Color for Emotion

Emotion is Color

Similarities and Differences between English and Thai Human body as a container

English : overall embodiment

Thai focuses on specifc part of human body, as they can be face or eyes. This concerns culturally specifc embodiment, a particular emotion established a conventional cultural correlation between a body organ and a certain conceptualization of an emotion concept.

Conclusion

Our conceptual system of emotions is organized metaphorically and carries their cognitive characteristics and cultural values, and refects self-similarity of the language and culture.

References:

Evans, Vyvyan and Melanie Green. 2006. Cognitive Linguistics: An Introduction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Kovecses, Z. 2002. Metaphor: A Practical Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.

Kovecses, Z. 2003. Metaphor and Emotion: Language, Culture and Body in Human Mind. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Lakoff, G. and M. Johnson. 1980. Metaphor We Live By. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Lakoff, G. 1993. The contemporary theory of metaphor. In Ortony, A.Ed. Metaphor and Thought (2nd Eds.). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Lakoff, G. 1987. Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Plumacher, Martina and Peter Holz. 2007. Speaking of Colors and Odors. PA: John Benjamins Publishing Company.

dzikuj

Slide 1Aims of the studyBasic AssumptionsTopics of PresentationConceptual Metaphor in Cognitive Linguistics

Emotions ConceptsSlide 7Slide 8Conceptual Metaphor and EmotionConceptual Metaphor and EmotionSlide 11Colors as emotion conceptual metaphors in EnglishSlide 13Slide 14Slide 15English Colors for emotionsColors as emotion conceptual metaphors in ThaiColors as emotion conceptual metaphors in ThaiSlide 19Slide 20Slide 21Thai colors for emotionsSlide 23ANGER IS REDSlide 25Similarities and Differences between English and ThaiConclusionReferences:Slide 29