The Figurative Construction of Literal Meanings: Metaphor and Etymology
CERES Palais, room "Ruhrpott" (4.13)
The Figurative Construction of Literal Meanings: Metaphor and Etymology
Workshop together with Lucien van Beek (University Leiden), organized by subproject A04.
The CMT posits that humans tend to employ more concrete (more familiar) concepts to conceptualize more abstract (less familiar) ones. Although this perspective is accurate from a synchronic perspective on language, it encounters some challenges when viewed from a diachronic perspective. An abstract concept may not remain consistently abstract; it can be employed as a more concrete concept in subsequent historical periods to conceptualize new abstract concepts. A brief examination of the etymology of numerous concrete concepts reveals how they were conceptualized in earlier periods. The consideration of etymology within the framework of CMT, however, presents new challenges. For instance, if the etymology of a word demonstrates its figurative meaning, does this imply that it is not concrete but figurative? How should we approach lexemes for which the literal meanings are known only through etymology and which are not attested in their literal meanings in a given corpus? Should they be considered metaphorical, or not? This short workshop addresses these questions by focusing on a few small case studies drawn from different text corpora.
For more information about the workshop and if you are interested in attending, please contact Kianoosh Rezania.
