The Color of Green: Metaphorical Meanings in Thai and Chinese
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Abstract
Metaphor functions not only as a rhetorical device, but also as a cognitive framework for understanding concepts. This study investigates and compares the metaphors associated with the color green in Thai and Chinese, utilizing data from the Thai National Corpus (TNC) and the BLCU Corpus Center (BCC). Applying the contemporary theory of metaphor (CTM) from cognitive linguistics, the analysis identified 139 metaphors for green in Thai, categorized into five main meanings and nine sub-meanings, with anger emerging as the most prevalent sub-meaning. By contrast, the analysis of Chinese revealed 59 metaphors, divided into four main meanings and ten sub-meanings, where marital infidelity was identified as the most common sub-meaning. Overall, Thai people utilize green metaphors more frequently than do their Chinese counterparts; however, in both languages, green metaphors carry predominantly negative connotations. This study highlights both similarities and differences in the metaphors of green between Thai and Chinese, reflecting the intrinsic properties of the color as well as the social histories, geographical contexts, and cultural perceptions unique to each group.
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