Orientational Metaphors in Nahj-albalagha: A Cognitive Perspective

Document Type : Research Article

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Abstract

Metaphor is a very important area of study in modern approaches to linguistics. According to new theories, metaphor is not just a feature of poetic discourse, but a metalinguistic tool shaping and structuring the man’s conceptual system and guiding his mind, behavior and language.  Conceptual metaphors are a prominent feature of out day-to- day communication. Directional metaphors link concepts through cross-domain mapping. Such directions are not arbitrary, but are rootd in our physical experiences and harmonize our conceptual system. In this study, the examination of directional metaphors of “up”, “down”, “in”, “out”, “center”, “margin” will make it clear that our cognition may conceptualize the mentioned concepts in new ways. Concerned with abstract concepts, the language of religion is a good area of study for examining the metaphors and creating more concrete concepts (source domains) for a better understanding of these religious texts. Reviewing the important differences between the traditional and modern approaches to translation,  the present study examines the directional metaphors in Nahj- Al-balagha. It seems that the “center”, “up”, and “in” metaphors in Nahj-Al- Balagha are more valuable than their opposite directions. Taking a directional approach to  Nahj-Al- Balagha will lead to a better understanding of  Imam Ali’s metaphorical statements. 

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