The Role of Metaphor and Metonymy in the Semantics of Persian Adjectival Preverbs: A Cognitive Linguistics Approach

Abstract

In this paper, a semantic classification for Persian adjectival preverbs based on Conceptual Metaphor Theory is presented: adjectival preverbs that demonstrate metaphorical shift and adjectival preverbs which lack metaphorical shift. The metaphors involved in the first subclass of adjectival preverbs are motivated by a certain type of conceptual metonymy known as “Effect for Cause”. The second subclass covers preverbs whose combinations with the light verb does not show any metaphorical shift. Having detected two mentioned cognitive processes in the formation of the semantics of the complex predicates containing the first subclass of preverbs, the compositional nature of the semantics of the predicates was realized and two new meanings for “kærdæn” (to do) as a light verb in Persian complex predicates were proposed: to become and to make oneself. Another finding of this paper is the introduction of “/pejda kærd/” as the first two-word light verb of Persian.

Keywords

• Adjectival Preverbs, Conceptual Metaphor Theory, Metonymy.