Metonymic Conceptualization of Body Parts in the Greek New Testament

Abstract

This paper examines the metonymic structure of body parts in the Greek New Testament within the framework of the Conceptual Metonymy Theory. The question is, “How are body parts conceptualized in the Greek New Testament?” The aim is to explore the ways in which body parts and their functions are conceptually used in the New Testament in reference to the whole person. Data are drawn from the New Testament Greek text, and qualitative analysis is conducted. The data reveal that in the New Testament Greek language, metonymically, body parts are conceptualized as “body part stands for the person,” “body part stands for activity,” and “body part stands for its content.”

Keywords

• body parts
• new testament
• greek language
• metonymy
• conceptual metonymy theory
• cognitive linguistics