Conceptualizing The World In The Words Of Imam Ali According to The Theory Of Conceptual Metaphor : An Investigation Of Metaphors Conceptulized Based On Comestibles

Abstract

Metaphor is a concept that connects two distant domains or concepts and helps with the recognition of a subjective concept from an objective and tangible one. It is one of the cognitive mechanisms of the cognitive semantics which plays a role in the organization of the human mind and perception of abstract concepts.

The current study is aimed to discover the conceptualizations made in a precious work named ‘Nahj al-Balaghah.’ To do so, with the cognitive approach and utilization of the theory of conceptual metaphor, investigated the conceptual metaphors of the world conceptulized based on comestibles, so that the role of this cognitive mechanism in conceptualization and perception of the abstract concept of the world in Amir Al-Momeneen Ali’s discourse (PBUH) would be revealed.

The most important results of the current study are:

 Analysis introduce new dimensions of Alavi’s discourse in Nahj al-Balaghah, and indicate that conceptual metaphor plays an important role in the conceptualization of the world in Nahj al-Balagha; without it, structuring of the concept of the world is very difficult. In this conceptualization, diversity of the source domains (Comestibles) in Alavi’s discourse conveys the extensiveness of the target domain aspects on the one hand and, on the other hand, indicates the mastery of Imam Ali (PBUH) in all these aspects and his mastery in forming them.