Cognitive metaphors of past, history, heritage and antiquity in Greek linguistic picture of the world

Abstract

The paper focuses on the identification and study of the features of cognitive metaphors of the past and related concepts in the Greek linguistic picture of the world. The analysis considers the nominations: ιστορία (history), κληρονομιά (heritage), παρελθόν (past) and αρχαιότητα (antiquity). The research sets main cognitive structures in the source domain that are inherent to all analyzed concepts. Metaphorization predominantly takes place around the image-scheme of the path (“sourcepath-goal”), personification and perception of the concepts in the target domain as objects. The path has a structure-shaping role: both linear and labyrinthine path models are registered, while the movement mostly occurs in the opposite direction with the focus on the starting point of the journey (the source). Ethno-specific feature includes orientational metaphor, which suggests that the past is up. The broad scope has personification (first of all, with social and professional roles), as well as objectification, based mostly on visibility or concealment of the objects, as well as on their physical characteristics. A distinctive feature is the perception of antiquities as neighbors that exist side by side with the modern population, and antiquity, on the contrary, as a poet communicating with poems. One can also highlight the perception of the past and heritage as exhibits – something that is exposed to the public and is source of pride. Besides, natural phenomena and the construction are the common source of metaphorization for the past, history, heritage and antiquity in the Greek linguistic picture of the world.

Keywords

• concept
• cognitive metaphor
• past
• history
• heritage
• antiquity
• cultural linguistics
• modern greek language