METAPHORICAL CONCEPTUALIZATION OF "SADNESS" IN CHINESE IDIOMS

Abstract

"Sadness", as one of the most basic emotional experiences of human beings, is metaphorically conceptualized and manifests itself in language. Based on conceptual metaphor theory, this paper categorizes the metaphorical conceptualization of Chinese "sadness" idioms, and further analyzes their cognitive mechanisms and cognitive motivations. The study discovers that embodied experiences play a role in the metaphorical conceptualization of "sadness" idioms and it is restricted by the unique cultural background.