Metaphorical work of spatial linguistic cognition (in English, Latin and Russian)

Abstract

The paper focuses on the metaphorical thinking and conceptualizing the reality on the basis of the spatial linguistic means for expressing various concepts such as time, manner, purpose. The research is based on the analysis of different idioms and set expressions in the Latin, English and Russian languages. The main aim of the paper is to support the idea of the systematic process of creating metaphors on the basis of spatial relations. The paper includes the introductory part which dwells upon the subject of universal character of the notional category of space and spatial cognition. The body is devoted to the analysis of different idioms in the three languages which demonstrate the systemic character of the metaphorical processes built on the spatial relations. The conclusion encompasses the ideas that universal category of space is one of the main grounds for metaphorical thinking.

Keywords

• spatial relations
• metaphor
• Latin
• English
• Russian
• set expression
• idiom
• time
• manner
• purpose