Metaphorical Use of Animals in English and Punjabi Exocentric Compounds: A Cognitive-Cultural Perspective

Abstract

The study examines the metaphorical use of animals in English and Punjabi exocentric compounds. In figurative expressions such as idioms and proverbs the use of animals is very common but no attention is paid towards the metaphorical use of animals in exocentric compounds. Thus, to fill the gap the study with the combo of cognitive and cultural linguistics attempts to bring into light that due to the cultural variations there are certain similarities and disparities in the negative and positive conceptualization and metaphorical use of animals in the languages. The study argues every exocentric compound is culture specific and its meaning cannot easily arrived at by simple cognition. The study further argues that every constituent in an exocentric compound carries some cultural specific conceptualizations and there are certain culturally determined metonymic relations. Thus, for arriving at the metaphorical meaning the cultural background knowledge plays an important role. The data comprised of 50 English and Punjabi exocentric compounds and was analyzed with the combo of cognitive and cultural linguistics framework. The analysis showed that due to cultural differences there are some similarities and disparities in the conceptualizations of animals. The culturally determined metonymic relations help in the formation and for arriving at the metaphorical meanings.