A Comparison of HUMANS ARE ANIMALS Conceptual Metaphor between English and Thai

Abstract

This study explores aspects of the role of metaphors in our conceptualisation of animals and how this relates to our conceptualisation of humans. Conceptual metaphor theory (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980) has been extremely influential in cognitive linguistics and other fields, and has cross-cultural implications. Of particular interest to this study are the conceptual metaphors HUMANS ARE ANIMALS, and HUMAN BEHAVIOUR IS ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR (Kövecses, 2002). Kövecses (2005) also put forward that although these conceptual metaphors may be universal cross-culturally meaning that animal metaphors may be used to describe HUMANS in all cultures – their expression in terms of the source domains used (e.g. the particular animal) may vary as a function of the linguistic and cultural background in question.

Animal metaphors are used ubiquitously across languages to refer to human behaviour. Cowards are represented as chickens, lions denote the brave, and crowd followers are sheep and, although connotations and labels may vary quite significantly, the general conceptual metaphor of HUMANS ARE ANIMALS exists across cultures and is universal because of the similarity of human nature.

The results made evident that metaphors are not independent of socio-cultural settings, but metaphor, and thus cognition, is deeply related to our understanding of society and culture.