HUMAN ORGAN-BASED INDONESIAN METAPHORICAL LINGUISTIC EXPRESSIONS: A COGNITIVE SEMANTICS PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Metaphor, for most people, seems a linguistic device to express poetic imaginations and to make conversations more flowery. In this assumption, metaphor is considered as a language form used outside of its ordinary function. Such an assumption has been taken for granted and accordingly it has been considered something conclusive. Assuming such an understanding on metaphor drives people think that it is only in the literary texts metaphor exists. Lakoff and Johnson (1980) pointed out that it has been something deeply rooted that metaphor is assumed as something merely linguistic, not something conceptual related to the way human conceptualizes the world. Empirically speaking, metaphorical linguistic expressions exist overwhelmingly in our everyday lives. It demonstrates that metaphor relates to the way of humans to perceive and conceptualize their worldview. Evans (2006) pointed out that metaphor represents the way humans perceive their experience. Jaberi (2016) argued that not only is it addressed to literary text; but also become a commonality among all sciences addressing issues related to language and mind. The very basic idea in metaphor concerning the meaning is that meaning is embodied. The structure of human body inspires the meaningfulness of linguistic units (Evans, 2006, p. 44). Forceville (2010) stated that ‘metaphor is a cognitive tool that operates in both verbal and non-verbal communication or in various modes simultaneously.’ This paper addresses human organ as the basis for metaphorizing intention of language speaker. Conceptual Metaphor Theory pioneered by Lakoff and Johnson is used to discuss the research problem formulated. Linguistic introspection is applied as the method to analyze the research data. Referring to the research finding, the characteristics of human organs being employed metaphorically in the Indonesian language can be classified into: (1) functionally motivated, and (2) formally motivated. It means that there is a purposive intention for Indonesians to empower human organs as the way they communicate. The Conceptual Metaphor Theory claims that the relationships between body and mind and their interaction with the environment are builders of unconscious mind (Jaberi, 2016. p. 143). The empowerment of human organs metaphorically is basically inspired by their understanding on the nature of each human organ itself. It shows that human organs can semantically be extended their primordial meanings to construct other meanings by relying on to the characteristics of their inherent nature.                     

Keywords: human organ, embodied meaning, conceptual metaphor, functional motivation, formal motivation.