Publication details

Metaphor, conceptual archetypes and subjectification: The case of completion is up and the polysemy of shàng in Chinese

Authors

LU Wei-lun

Year of publication 2017
Type Chapter of a book
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Arts

Citation
Description In this paper, we discuss the relation between conceptual metaphor, conceptual archetype and subjectivity. We start by examining the polysemy of shang in Chinese, given the working of COMPLETION IS UP on its semantics. Based on corpus data, we sketch a possible route of semantic extension and argue that the synchronic distribution of shang is symptomatic of semantic attenuation. We also propose an image-schematic structure for each of the relevant senses of shang identified. With such analysis, we identify VERTICAL ELEVATION and CONTACT as two important conceptual archetypes that may help us understand the semantic extension and how COMPLETION IS UP is actually at work in the semantics of shang.

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