A cultural cognitive study of EARTH metaphors in Chinese and English idioms

This study provides a comparative analysis of EARTH metaphors in Chinese and English idioms from a cultural cognitive perspective. Using a corpus-based approach, it explores the similarities and differences in the metaphorical uses of EARTH across the two languages. Drawing on Conceptual Metaphor Theory, the analysis reveals that both Chinese and English share several conceptual metaphors, conceptualizing EARTH as POWER, A HUMAN BEING, and A SITUATION. These metaphors occupy a significant proportion in the respective data of each language. The shared conceptualizations are primarily based on common bodily experiences, reflecting the inherent physical properties of EARTH and the universal physiological structures of the human sensorimotor system. However, the study also identifies two key areas of difference. First, within the shared metaphor of A SITUATION IS EARTH, the conceptual correspondences differ between the two languages. Second, the target domains in certain metaphors diverge, as exemplified by FAVORS IS EARTH in Chinese and REALITY IS EARTH in English. These differences underscore the influence of cultural cognitive factors, revealing distinct worldviews shaped by historical, geographical, and social contexts. This paper contributes to cultural cognitive linguistics by demonstrating how metaphorical expressions offer insights into the cultural and cognitive processes in both Chinese and English.