Cover not available
Article published In:
Cognitive Linguistic Studies
Vol. 6:2 (2019) ► pp.295–324

Animal-related concepts across languages and cultures from a cognitive linguistic perspective

| Mouloud Mammeri University of Tizi-Ouzou,
This paper investigates the use of animal-related concepts in the proverbs of English, French, Arabic, and Kabyle. Research in cognitive linguistics has highlighted the important role played by cultural influences in conceptual metaphor variation (Kövecses 2005). Animal-related proverbs constitute interesting examples of cultural influences upon conceptual metaphor and its instantiation in language (Belkhir 2014, 2012). The principle of hierarchy underlying the Great Chain Metaphor Theory has been questioned. It has been demonstrated that in addition to the ranking of human and animal concepts on a hierarchical scale, animal concepts were also ranked on the scale (Belkhir 2014). The present article attempts to show that there exists another type of ranking that seems to have never been explored to date; that is, the ranking of concepts within the same animal species. Therefore, this paper offers a cross-cultural cognitive study of some animal-related concepts’ use in a sample of English, French, Arabic, and Kabyle proverbs. Its aim is to explore the influence of cultural contexts and cultural models upon the main meaning foci characterizing the concepts dog, lion, ass, horse, camel, and ox leading to, not only a hierarchical classification of these animals, but to a classification of animals within one animal species as a result of the influences of cultural contexts and cultural models. The conclusion is that sociocultural contexts determine the main meaning foci characterizing the animal source domain concepts involved in the human is animal metaphor resulting in animal-animal rankings within different species, and animal-animal rankings within the same species.
Keywords: Conceptual Metaphor Theory, animal-related concepts, proverbs, corpus-based analysis, cultural influences
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
  • 3.Theoretical background
  • 4.Methodology
  • 5.Cultural models
    • 5.1Dog
    • 5.2Lion
    • 5.3Ass
    • 5.4Horse
    • 5.5Camel
    • 5.6Ox
  • 6.Descriptive account of animal concepts rankings
    • 6.1Rankings in English proverbs
      • 6.1.1Rankings within distinct animal species
      • 6.1.2Rankings within single animal species
    • 6.2Rankings in French proverbs
      • 6.2.1Rankings within distinct animal species
      • 6.2.2Rankings within single animal species
    • 6.3Rankings in Arabic proverbs
      • 6.3.1Rankings within distinct animal species
      • 6.3.2Rankings within single animal species
    • 6.4Rankings in Kabyle proverbs
      • 6.4.1Rankings within distinct animal species
      • 6.4.2Rankings within single animal species
  • 7.Discussion of the findings
    • 7.1Convergence in animal concepts rankings
      • 7.1.1Convergence in rankings within distinct animal species
      • 7.1.2Convergence in rankings within single animal species
    • 7.2Divergence in animal concepts rankings
      • 7.2.1Divergence in rankings within distinct animal species
      • 7.2.2Divergence in rankings within single animal species
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 4 February 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/cogls.00042.bel
References (55)
References
Abd-Essalam, A., & Zaghlul, M. S. (Eds.). (1988). Kita:b jamharatu ‘al-‘amṯa:l (2nd ed.). Beirut: Dar al-Ilmiyya.Google Scholar
At Mansur, R. (2010). Dictionnaire de proverbes kabyles. Tizi-Ouzou: Editions Achab.Google Scholar
Belkhir, S. (2012). Variation in source and target domain mappings in English and Kabyle dog proverbs. In S. Kleinke, Z. Kövecses, A. Musolff & V. Szelid (Eds.), Cognition and culture: The role of metaphor and metonymy (pp. 213–227). Budapest: Eötvös University Press.Google Scholar
(2014). Cultural influence on the use of dog concepts in English and Kabyle proverbs. In A. Musolff, F. MacArthur & G. Pagani (Eds.), Metaphor and intercultural communication (pp. 131–146). London: Bloomsbury.Google Scholar
Blench, R. (2000). The history and spear of donkeys in Africa. In P. Starkey & D. Fielding (Eds.), Donkeys, people and development (pp. 22–30). The Netherlands: ATNESA. Retrieved from [URL]
Bough, J. (2011). The mirror has two faces: Contradictory reflections of donkeys in Western literature from Lucius to Balthazar. Animals 11, 56–68. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Brown, K., & Miler, J. (2013). Cambridge dictionary of linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Camps, G., & Chaker, S. (1993). Cheval (origines). In G. Camps (Ed.), Encyclopédie berbère (Vol. 121, pp. 1907–1911). France: Edisud.Google Scholar
Camps, G., Musso, J. Cl., & Chaker, S. (1988). Ane. In G. Camps (Ed.), Encyclopédie berbère (Vol. 51, pp. 647–657). France: Edisud.Google Scholar
Camps, G., Peyron, M., & Chaker, S. (1996). Dromadaire. In G. Camps (Ed.), Encyclopédie berbère (Vol. 171, pp. 2541–2546). France: Edisud.Google Scholar
Cartmill, M. (1995). Hunting and humanity in Western thought. Social research, 62 (3). 773–786.Google Scholar
Dallet, J. M. (1982). Dictionnaire kabyle-français. Paris: Selaf.Google Scholar
Dalziel, H. (1883). British dogs: Their varieties, history, characteristics, breeding, management, and exhibition. London: The Bazaar Office.Google Scholar
D’Andrade, R. G. (1981). The cultural part of cognition. Cognitive science, 51, 179–195. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Espérandieu, G., Coppé, G. E. B., & Chaker, S. (1994). Chien. In G. Camps (Ed.), Encyclopédie berbère (Vol. 131, pp. 1919–1922). France: Edisud.Google Scholar
Epstein, H. (1954). Le dromadaire dans l’ancien orient. Revue d’histoire des sciences et de leur application, 7 (3), 247–268. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Fergusson, R. (2000). The Penguin dictionary of proverbs (2nd ed.). England: Market House Books Ltd.Google Scholar
Fernando, P., & Starkey, P. (2000). Donkeys and development: socio-economic aspects of donkey use in Africa. In P. Starkey & D. Fielding (Eds.), Donkeys, people and development (pp. 31–44). The Neherlands: ATNESA. Retrieved from [URL]
Flexner, S. B. (Ed.). (1987). Random house dictionary of the English language (2nd ed.). New-York: Random House.Google Scholar
Fuller, R. (2000). Les expressions animalières en anglais. Animal idioms. Toulouse: P.U.M.Google Scholar
Genevois, H. (1963). 350 Enigmes kabyles. Fort National: Contribution à l’Etude Ethnographique du Maghreb.Google Scholar
Gillon, E., Hollier-Larousse, J., Ibos-Augé, J., Moreau, C., & Moreau, J.-L. (Eds.). (1972). Petit Larousse en couleurs. Paris: Librairie Larousse.Google Scholar
Haji, M., & Al-Akhdar, M. (Eds.). (1981). Zahr ’al ’akam fi ’al-amthal wa ’al-ḥikam (2nd ed.). Morroco: Dar Athaqafa.Google Scholar
Haru:n, A. S. M. (Ed.). (1965). ’al-ḥayawa:n (2nd ed.). Cairo: Mustafa Al-Ba:bi Al-Halabi and Sons Publishers.Google Scholar
Holland, D., & Quinn, N. (Eds.). (1987). Cultural models in language and thought. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Ibrahim, A. A. M. (Ed.). (1996). Majma‘u ’al-’amṯa:l (2nd ed.)., Beirut: Dar Al-ji:l.Google Scholar
Ibn Manḍur, M. B. M. (1990). Lisa:n ’al-‘arab. Beirut: Dar Sader Publishers.Google Scholar
Kövecses, Z. (2002). Metaphor: A practical introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
(2005). Metaphor in culture: Universality and variation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Lacoste-Dujardin, C. (2005). Dictionnaire de la culture berbère en Kabylie. Paris: Editions la Découverte.Google Scholar
Lakoff, G. (1987). Women, fire, and dangerous things: What categories reveal about the mind. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(1993). The contemporary theory of metaphor. In A. Ortony (Ed.), Metaphor and thought (2nd ed.) (pp. 202–251). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Lakoff, G., & Turner, M. (1989). More than cool reason: A field guide to poetic metaphor. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Larousse 3 volumes en couleurs (Vol.21). (1966). Paris: Librairie Larousse.Google Scholar
Larousse 3 volumes en couleurs (Vol.11). (1970). Paris: Librairie Larousse.Google Scholar
Lovejoy, A. O. (1936). The great chain of being. Cambridge: MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Ma‘louf, L. (1975). Al-Munjid Fi ’al-luġa wa’al-a‘la:mi. Beirut: Dar Al-mashriq.Google Scholar
Manser, M. H. (2007). Facts on file dictionary of proverbs (2nd ed.). New York: Facts on file.Google Scholar
Marks, J. (2008). Great chain of being. In J. Hartwell Moore (Ed.), Encyclopedia of race and racism (Vol. 21, pp. 68–73). USA: the Gale Group.Google Scholar
Montreynaud, F., Pierron, A., & Suzonni, F. (Eds.). (1993). Dictionnaire des proverbes et dictons. Paris: Le Robert.Google Scholar
Muzzolini, A., Agabi, C., & Bernus, E. (1991). Boeuf. In G. Camps (Ed.), Encyclopédie berbère (Vol. 101, pp. 1547–1554). France: Edisud.Google Scholar
Nacib, Y. (2009). Proverbes et dictons kabyles (2nd ed.). Alger: Enag.Google Scholar
Nichols, W. R. (Ed.). (2001). Random house Webster’s unabridged dictionary (2nd ed.). New-York: Random House.Google Scholar
Qatamish, A. M. (1988a). ’al-’amṯa:l al-‘arabiyya, dira:sa ta:rixiyya taḥli:liyya. Syria: Da:r ’al-fikr.Google Scholar
(Ed.). (1988b). ’aḏarra ’al-fa:xira fi: ’al-’amṯa:l ’assa:’ira (2nd ed.). Egypt: Dar Al-Maarif.Google Scholar
Rey, A., & Chantreau, S. (Eds.). (1993). Dictionnaire des expressions et locutions. Paris: Le Robert.Google Scholar
Sharifian, F. (Ed.). (2015). The Routledge handbook of language and culture. Milton Park: Routledge.Google Scholar
(2017). Cultural linguistics: The state of the art. In F. Sharifian (Ed.), Advances in cultural linguistics (pp. 1–28). Singapore: Springer. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Summers, D. (Ed.). (2005). Longman dictionary of English language and culture. England: Pearson Education Ltd.Google Scholar
Taylor, P. W. (1984). Are humans superior to animals and plants? Environmental ethics. 6 (2). 149–160. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Vigerie, P. (1992). La symphonie animale. Les animaux dans les expressions de la langue française. Paris: Larousse.Google Scholar
Watts, M. (1999). Working oxen. Great Britain: Shire publications. Abstract retrieved from [URL]
Williams, M. (2004). The living tractor. Farmers weekly. Retrieved from [URL]
Wilson, F. P. (1970). Oxford dictionary of English proverbs (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Cited by (7)

Cited by seven other publications

Baranyiné Kóczy, Judit
2024. Chapter 11. A cultural linguistic study of embodied Hungarian proverbs representing facial hair. In Proverbs within Cognitive Linguistics [Cognitive Linguistic Studies in Cultural Contexts, 16], ► pp. 298 ff. DOI logo
Theodoropoulou, Maria
2024. Chapter 7. Emotion in Greek proverbs. In Proverbs within Cognitive Linguistics [Cognitive Linguistic Studies in Cultural Contexts, 16], ► pp. 174 ff. DOI logo
Rozhkov, Yu
2023. METHODS OF COGNITIVE LINGUISTICS FOR RESEARCH OF ANIMAL DISEASES TERMINOLOGY. Mìžnarodnij fìlologìčnij časopis 14:2 DOI logo
Belkhir, Sadia
2022. Metaphoric proverbs in EFL learners’ translation. Cognitive Linguistic Studies 9:1 ► pp. 110 ff. DOI logo
Belkhir, Sadia
2024. Introduction. In Proverbs within Cognitive Linguistics [Cognitive Linguistic Studies in Cultural Contexts, 16], ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Rozhkov
2022. Terminology studies: linguocognitive paradigm. Mìžnarodnij fìlologìčnij časopis 13:1 ► pp. 24 ff. DOI logo
Torres Soler, Julio
2021. Variation in embodied metaphors: A contrastive analysis of taste metaphors in Spanish and English. Complutense Journal of English Studies 29 ► pp. 21 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 4 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.