On the metaphorical semantics of the English posture verbs sit, stand and lie
https://doi.org/10.26907/2074-0239-2021-66-4-72-77
Abstract
The problem under discussion is the features of metaphorical and metonymic expressions with the English posture verbs sit, stand and lie. There is a growing interest in posture verbs in any language, so linguists are trying to systematize and discover the schemes of their usage depending on the shape and parameters of an object, the stand and surface on which this object is, etc. Metaphorical and metonymic expressions with such verbs require additional and thorough analysis as the criteria for the analysis of the verbs in their direct meaning (i.e. the description of the position in the space) might be applied indirectly. In our research, we try to identify basic source domains, target domains and situations when these posture verbs convey new meanings and to distinguish the structures when the transference from a direct meaning to an indirect one may occur. Based on the analysis of the language examples, taken from monolingual English dictionaries, it is possible to indicate that the metonymic transfer of the verbs sit, stand and lie is situationally limited and leads to their metaphorical transfer. This can be explained by the fact that posture verbs have a long semantic component of ‘animality’ and any changes in the sentence structure may lead to metaphorical and metonymic transfers.
About the Author
E. Kuznetsova
Altai State Pedagogical University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Evgenia Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova, Assistant Professor
Linguistic Institute
656031
55 Molodyozhnaya Str.
Barnaul
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Review
For citations:
Kuznetsova E. On the metaphorical semantics of the English posture verbs sit, stand and lie. Philology and Culture. 2021;(4):72-77. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26907/2074-0239-2021-66-4-72-77
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