Embodied Life and Death in Persian: A Prototypical Approach to Study Embodied Language
摘要
This chapter explores how Persian speakers conceptualize and embody the abstract notions of LIFE and DEATH. Building on the empirical framework outlined in Chap. 5 , it presents and interprets the findings obtained from Persian participants. The results from the investigation of ten basic elements of color, form, vehicle, place, position (direction), texture (material), smell, taste, action, and parts of body, which implement the formation of embodied language, are explained individually. The integration of these factors showed what prototypes are employed in Persian to mentally represent LIFE and DEATH, and metaphorically express them. The findings suggest that embodiment is situated and context-dependent. Abstract concepts are locally constructed through a web of sensory, linguistic, and cultural associations.