Publications

Publication details [#623]

Bretones Calleja, Carmen Mª. 2007. Embodiment in meaning and discourse: a cognitive linguistics approach to the debate. Madrid: UNED, D.L. 2007. 6 pp.
Publication type
Book – conference proceedings
Publication language
English
ISBN
ISBN 978-84-611-6897-2

Abstract

This paper favors the embodiment approach to human cognition by pointing out how bodily experiences shape our personal discourse. The author analyzes the terms used by a subject (Sandra) in order to describe her feelings towards the proposal of a prenuptial agreement by her fiancé. The sentence “I couldn’t stand to see our future relationship be reduced to questions of money” is based on the metaphor EMOTIONAL STRENGTH IS UPWARD POSITION, which in its turn can be further broken down into two other metaphors, viz. SOUND IS UP/UPWARD POSITION, and DEPRESSED IS DOWN. Three additional orientational synaesthetic metaphors can be connected to this utterance, i.e. CONFRONTING IS STANDING, ACCEPTING SOMETHING IS SEEING SOMETHING, and KNOWING IS SEEING. She also talks about her relationship in terms of a journey starting when they began dating and hopefully evolving into marriage.