A survey on the naming mechanisms of Chinese herbal medicines: Based on the ECM<sup>+</sup>

The Event Cognitive Model (ECM) in cognitive linguistics provides a comprehensive explanation for the origins of cognitive principles and syntactic constructions. However, it often falls short in explaining metaphorical expressions in language due to its lack of specificity. While numerous scholars have discussed the naming patterns, cultural connotation, and rhetorical characteristics of Chinese herbal medicines, most of these discussions have primarily focused on rhetoric and translation, without delving into cognitive thinking or conducting an in-depth analysis of the naming mechanism using cognitive linguistic theories. This paper aims to bridge this gap by introducing the Event Cognitive Model Plus (ECM+) which incorporates the cognitive approach of metaphorical thinking, along with the principle of salience. This study presents a meticulous statistical analysis of 578 Chinese herbal names, enabling us to establish and analyze the naming patterns of Chinese herbal medicines.