水にまつわる語を用いた比喩について(1)

This paper examines metaphorical expressions with Japanese words which originally describe water in pool or things in pool of water. With its familiarity and its various forms and conditions, water provides us a lot of basic patterns to classify things and events around us, and gives birth to various metaphorical expressions. Running water becomes a pool in a depression. The depression can be seen as a kind of container to hold the water, with the top surface and the bottom. The notions of surface, bottom, and container are critical factors in the meanings of some Japanese words related to water, like asai 'shallow,' hukai 'deep,' uku 'float,' and shizumu 'sink.' Asai 'shallow' means that something is only a short distance away from the surface to the bottom of water. Hukai 'deep' means that something is a long way down from the surface. Uku 'float' means to move up to the surface or up away from the bottom. Shizumu 'sink' means to move down from the surface or to the bottom. In the metaphorical uses of these words, the three critical notions of surface, bottom, and container survive, while other factors in the original meanings drop out.

公開日:2010年1月24日で登録したコンテンツは、国立情報学研究所において電子化したものです。