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Part of
Proverbs within Cognitive Linguistics: State of the art
Edited by Sadia Belkhir
[Cognitive Linguistic Studies in Cultural Contexts 16] 2024
► pp. 202–229

Chapter 8
Living is movement

A cognitive analysis of some Akan proverbs

| University of Education, Winneba , Ghana

Proverbs, sayings, metaphors, and symbolism represent connections between physical experiences, their cognitive engagements and language, which becomes both a storage place and a promoter of this symbiosis. Departing from the universal life is a journey conventional metaphor, the study examines the representation of the connection between movement and living and how they are reflected in Akan philosophical values. Guided by Johnson’s schema theory, Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor theory, and Lakoff and Turner’s (1989) Great Chain Metaphor Theory, the study discusses the living is movement schema and component conceptual metaphors in Akan proverbs. It also examines related orientational metaphors including ‘success is up/away’ and security is in/within in the proverbs, linking all these cognitive representations of movement to the Akan philosophy of ‘life and its living’.

Keywords: living, movement, metaphor, schema, conceptual
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical framework
  • 3.Research methodology
  • 4.Conceptual representation, metaphor, and philosophy
    • 4.1From life is a journey to living is movement
    • 4.2The Akan philosophy of life and its living
  • 5.Discussions
    • 5.1The living is movement schema
      • 5.1.1The sustenance is movement metaphor
      • 5.1.2The progress is movement metaphor
      • 5.1.3The safety/honour is movement metaphor
      • 5.1.4Inside may not be entirely safe
      • 5.1.5Safety/prosperity is judicious movement metaphor
        • 5.1.5.1Negotiating space with time
        • 5.1.5.2Safety is change of direction/out-space metaphor
    • 5.2Living is movement orientational metaphor – success is up/away; security is/within
      • 5.2.1Akan spatial conceptualisation
      • 5.2.2Success is up
      • 5.2.3Failure is low/static
      • 5.2.4Success is away/failure is here
  • 6.Conclusion
  • References
Published online: 30 May 2024
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/clscc.16.08sek
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