Document Type : Research paper
Authors
1 University of Guilan
2 Master's student, Arabic Language and Literature, University of Guilan Guilan, Iran.
Abstract
Cognitive linguistics is a modern approach in language studies that addresses the relationship between human language and mind, as well as physical-social experiences. Mark Johnson and George Lakoff are pioneer theorists in this field. They assume that conceptual metaphor is distinguished from surrounding phenomena by explaining and objectifying abstract concepts to identify and share human experiences. This kind of metaphor is manifested in different types of schemas based on the concepts formed in the human mind. Because metaphysic imaginations and ethical concepts and their connection with perceptible cognitive and daily life experiences have a bold presence in language type and religious expression, examination of image schemas in Holy Quran’s metaphors reveals a system of conceptual structure and sophisticated meaning layers of Quran verses. This study has tried to investigate three types of schemas: path, containment, and force based on the description and analysis of Quran samples based on the theory of Lakoff and Johnson and mental constructs available in Ali 'Imran Surah. The internal context of language and imaginary images expressed in Ali 'Imran Surah has been explained in a way that reader can touch their concepts based on their daily experiences and find clear truths by reviewing the available abstract issues in this Surah. Research findings indicate that path schema in Ali 'Imran Surah emphasizes destination as the result of the path considering the sensual concepts, while containment schema in this surah is distinguished in positive and negative scopes as container and contained,.
Keywords
Main Subjects
Extended Abstract
Cognitive linguistics is a modern approach in language studies that addresses the relationship between human language and mind, as well as physical-social experiences. Mark Johnson and George Lakoff are pioneer theorists in this field. They assume that conceptual metaphor is distinguished from surrounding phenomena by explaining and objectifying abstract concepts to identify and share human experiences. This kind of metaphor is manifested in different types of schemas based on the concepts formed in the human mind. Because metaphysic imaginations and ethical concepts and their connection with perceptible cognitive and daily life experiences have a bold presence in language type and religious expression, examination of image schemas in Holy Quran’s metaphors reveals a system of conceptual structure and sophisticated meaning layers of Quran verses. This study has tried to investigate three types of schemas: path, containment, and force based on the description and analysis of Quran samples based on the theory of Lakoff and Johnson and mental constructs available in Ali 'Imran Surah. The internal context of language and imaginary images expressed in Ali 'Imran Surah has been explained in a way that reader can touch their concepts based on their daily experiences and find clear truths by reviewing the available abstract issues in this Surah. Research findings indicate that path schema in Ali 'Imran Surah emphasizes destination as the result of the path considering the sensual concepts, while containment schema in this surah is distinguished in positive and negative scopes as container and contained, and force schema is highlighted through various types of blockages, obstacle removal, and rerouting.
The importance and necessity of this study on the one hand, and countless cognitive scopes of the Holy Quran on the other hand have made it an inspiring source for human life because Quran is full of spiritual concepts and contemplative images used to understand the life experiences of modern humans. Rhetorical and literary devices are required to investigate these concepts. Ali 'Imran Surah is the longest Surah of the Holy Quran followed by Al-Baqarah and An-Nisa surahs, and has a major role in the new perception of the metaphor concept. This surah is full of image schemas to prove God’s unity and realization of some objectives, such as unity, patience, and resistance against enemies, salvation from religious doubts and satanic temptations, and an explanation of God’s wisdom and will to overcome problems. This Surah also gives a metaphor essence to the process of human cognition and understanding of the surrounding world.
Ali 'Imran Surah has been selected and distinguished from other surahs of the Quran because this surah has paid great attention to spiritual constructs, and subjective and abstract ideas emphasized in conceptual metaphor as the destination scope. On the other hand, this Surah has matched these abstract ideas with objective and perceptible topics of the world as the original scope. This Surah indeed provides other outstanding features including an introduction to superstitious thoughts and evil concepts to know the truth of faith better and propose solutions for the realization of salvation through rewards and punishments available in imaginary images. Since image schemas play a significant role in better identification of mental imagination based on daily life’s truths, their expressions in conceptual metaphors of Ali 'Imran Surah allow examining abstract subjects and their relation with daily experiences regarding the cognition and action principle based on the perception of life details.
This study aims to discuss and examine three types of schemas: path, containment, and force from the view of Lakoff and Johnson in this Suran with a concentration on the image metaphors available in verses of Ali 'Imran Surah and relevant literary evidence.
The present study tends to answer the following questions:
- What is the most considerable image schema in Ali 'Imran Surah, and how it has been distinguished?
- How the image schemas have been used to identify the concepts existing in conceptual metaphors of Ali 'Imran Surah?
Lakoff and Johnson’s theory of conceptual metaphor is applied in the frame of image schemas of containment, path, and force in Ali 'Imran Surah to process abstract religious and ethical concepts and match them with daily life experiences and sensual-physical scopes. Sensual concepts of these three image schemas in Ali 'Imran Surah have been used as the cognitive scope of origin to express some verses as metaphors and make some vague mental concepts, such as mercy, worship, guidance, aberration, and return more perceptible for the audience because these concepts require more explanation.
Among image schemas used in Ali 'Imran Surah, force schema is more highlighted due to its function for strengthening cognitive and incentive systems and changing behavioral actions through ethical dos and don’ts. In this way, barriers to salvation are reminded, and suitable solutions are proposed not to face barriers in the guidance trajectory. In the opinion of Lakoff and Johnson, the path metaphor in Ali 'Imran Surah belongs to the path function of some abstract concepts, such as mercy, return, worship, etc. that cannot move to create new images that consist of origin, trajectory, and destination of path. According to the evidence, however, path destination in path schema is a more perceptible topic that has received greater attention in verses. The containment schema in Ali 'Imran Surah can be considered based on the abstract concepts in positive and negative scopes in the frame of the container and contained. From a positive view, the abstract concept of mercy is used as a container and an eternal resort for believers, while from a negative view, the abstract concept of aberration is a symbol of an explicit container that has contained the predecessors before the presence of the prophets.
Keywords: Lakoff and Johnson, Conceptual Metaphor, Image Schemas, Ali 'Imran
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