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Body Part Terms in Conceptualization and Language Usage
Edited by Iwona Kraska-Szlenk
[Cognitive Linguistic Studies in Cultural Contexts 12] 2020
► pp. 53–75

Body-part terms as a linguistic topic and the relevance of body-parts as tools

The metaphoric function of body-part terms to denote entire things in other domains is a frequent phenomenon. Body-part terms, are, however, also used to refer to specific parts of inanimate items, a phenomenon which is more frequent in African than in European languages. The names of certain body-part terms are also used within the body domain as modifiers in compound denotations of other, smaller body-parts. There are only few examples where names of animal body-parts, parts of plants or of persons have this function. More frequently the names of artefacts, in particular tools, are used metaphorically as modifiers in compound body-part terms. Compound terms which contain names of part of plants constitute the nucleus. They are likewise rare and have not been found in African languages.

The study is based on data in German, English, French, Dutch, Sango and Zande, but there are also examples from other languages.

Keywords: instrumental functions, carrier functions, diminutives, body parts as conceptual sources, work as a conceptual source
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Origins and structures of simplex body-part terms
    • 2.1. Borrowed, derived and metaphorical terms for body-parts
    • 2.2. Compound body-part terms
    • 2.3. Derivations denoting body-parts
  • 3.Body-parts of objects
  • 4.Body-parts with tool-functions
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Abbreviations
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 23 March 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/clscc.12.c03pas
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