(LUẬN văn THẠC sĩ) a contrastive study of conceptual metaphors in english and vietnamese family idioms

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING QUY NHON UNIVERSITY NGUYỄN MINH TÂM A CONTRASTIVE STUDY OF CONCEPTUAL METAPHORS IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE FAMILY IDIOMS Field: English Linguistics Code: 8220201 Supervisor: Hà Thanh Hải, Ph.D download by : skknchat@gmail.com BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN NGUYỄN MINH TÂM NGHIÊN CỨU SO SÁNH ĐỐI CHIẾU VỀ PHÉP ẨN DỤ Ý NIỆM TRONG THÀNH NGỮ VỀ GIA ĐÌNH TRONG TIẾNG ANH VÀ TIẾNG VIỆT Chuyên ngành: Ngôn ngữ Anh Mã số: 8.22.02.01 Người hướng dẫn: TS Hà Thanh Hải download by : skknchat@gmail.com i STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I guarantee that the study entitled A Contrastive Study of Conceptual Metaphors in English and Vietnamese Family Idioms is my own work Additionally, I certify that this work has not been submitted, in whole or in part, for the award of any other degree or diploma, and it does not include any material that has been previously published or written by another person without appropriate acknowledgement Binh Dinh, 2021 Nguyen Minh Tam download by : skknchat@gmail.com ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This graduation thesis was completed not only through my own efforts, but also with the assistance of many organizations and individuals, to whom I would like to express my deepest gratitude First of all, I am sincerely grateful to my supervisor, Dr Hà Thanh Hải for the careful supervision, critical comments, and invaluable advice he provided for me to complete this thesis Without his endless patience and continuous support throughout the course of this study, the task would have never been finished Secondly, I wish to pay my special regards to the lecturers of my master’s degree for their insightful lectures and deep knowledge of linguistics In addition, I also want to send my warmest thanks to the Department of Foreign Languages of Quy Nhon University for granting me permission to pursue this project Last but not least, I wish to acknowledge the support and great love of my family and friends, who have always believed in me and given me strength to overcome all the difficulties I encountered while carrying out this study download by : skknchat@gmail.com iii ABSTRACT This study was conducted to investigate the similarities and differences in the formation of conceptual metaphors in family idioms in English and Vietnamese Based on the theory of conceptual metaphors of Cognitive linguistics prosed by Lakoff and Johnson (1980, 2003), this study examined mappings from the source domain to the target domain on a compilation of 240 idioms in both languages To fulfill the research objectives, quantitative, qualitative, descriptive, and contrastive approaches are employed throughout the research The findings show a small disproportion in how the two languages conceptualize the notion of family These conceptual metaphors are primarily created on the basis of the source domains, which are the essential needs of daily life as well as on the embodied perception In addition, certain types of metaphors are more prevalent in one language than another and vice versa, which may be attributed to cultural and geographical variations This thesis is hoped to contribute to teaching and learning as well as translating English and Vietnamese idioms based on understanding of conceptual metaphors download by : skknchat@gmail.com iv TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF TABLES vi LIST OF FIGURES vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .1 1.1.Rationale 1.2.Aim and Objectives 1.2.1.Aim 1.2.2 Objectives .4 1.3.Research Questions .4 1.4 Scope of the Study 1.5 Significance of the Study .5 1.5.1 Theoretical significance 1.5.2 Practical significance .5 1.6 Organization of the Study CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Theoretical background 2.1.1 Basic concepts of Conceptual metaphors 2.1.2 Classification of metaphor according to cognitive functions 15 2.1.3 Idioms 18 2.2 Previous studies 23 2.2.1 Metaphor studies in traditional view 23 2.2.2 Metaphor studies in cognitive view .25 2.2.3 Previous studies of idioms 30 2.3 Summary 32 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 34 3.1 Research Design 34 download by : skknchat@gmail.com v 3.2 Research Methods 34 3.3 Data Collection 35 3.4 Data Analysis .36 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 38 4.1 Conceptual metaphors in English and Vietnamese family idioms 38 4.1.1 FAMILY IS A HOUSE 38 4.1.2 FAMILY BONDS ARE FOOD 41 4.1.3 FAMILY IS A BODY 44 4.1.4 FAMILY MEMBER IS AN ANIMAL 48 4.1.5 FAMILY IS A CONTAINER 50 4.1.6 FAMILY IS A NEST 51 4.1.7 FAMILY IS A TREE 53 4.1.8 FAMILY HAPPINESS IS WARMTH 54 4.1.9 FAMILY RELATIONSHIP IS A ROPE .55 4.1.10 FAMILY IS A BOAT 56 4.1.11 MARRIAGE IS THE WORK OF GOD 57 4.1.12 FAMILY IS A HOUSEHOLD ITEM 58 4.1.13 LOVE IS A GAME 60 4.1.14 MARRIAGE IS A WAR 60 4.1.15 MARRIAGE IS A JOURNEY 61 4.1.16 MARRIAGE IS A TRANSACTION .63 4.1.17 LOVE IS POSSESSION 64 4.2 Similarities and differences between conceptual metaphors in English and Vietnamese family idioms 65 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 70 5.1 Conclusions 70 5.2 Implications 71 5.3 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Research .72 REFERENCES 74 APPENDICES download by : skknchat@gmail.com vi LIST OF TABLES Table 4.1 The Occurrence And Percentage Of Conceptual Metaphors Denoting Family In English And Vietnamese Idioms 65 download by : skknchat@gmail.com vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 The mappings of conceptual metaphors THEORIES ARE BUILDING 13 Figure 2.2 The mappings of conceptual metaphor ECONOMY IS WAR 14 Figure 2.3 The mappings of conceptual metaphor LOVE IS A JOURNEY 15 Figure 4.1 The mappings of conceptual metaphor A FAMILY IS A HOUSE 38 Figure 4.2 The mappings of conceptual metaphor FAMILY IS A BODY 45 download by : skknchat@gmail.com CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale Metaphor has emerged from ancient times, in many fields, especially in poetry with great aesthetic values Metaphors can be found all around us in our everyday lives They improve the effectiveness of language, make it more beautiful, and can emphasize the implied meanings that speakers want to express This linguistic phenomenon, first put forward by Aristotle, has gained much attention from linguists According to Aristotle (as cited in Trần Văn Cơ, 2009), the principal feature of metaphor is the name transference or the comparison between two things Metaphor used to be seen as only a rhetorical device or a method of developing meaning to make language more artistic However, the modern perspective on cognitive linguistics was first proposed by Lakoff and Johnson in their groundbreaking study Metaphors We Live By (1980) This revolutionary work is such a crucial contribution to cognitive linguistics, which paves the way for further studies in this linguistic field Through the view of cognitive linguistics, metaphor is considered as a means to conceptualize or cognize the world Metaphor can express as well as reflect human perception of abstract ideas or any thought about the world around us concretely through practical experiences by linguistic expressions This information transfer in perception is seen as a metaphorical mapping that enables the presentation of one object via the usage of the idea of another item Being in the limelight for ages, metaphor shows an important role not only in poetic language but also in thinking and action (Lakoff & Johnson, 2003) In daily life, metaphor is used so naturally and automatically that we cannot either recognize the employment of them or point out the meaning transference from different domains clearly Thus, there is a need to have download by : skknchat@gmail.com AP.4 [60] Gà trống nuôi [61] Hổ phụ sinh hổ tử [62] Loan phụng hòa minh [63] Phượng chạ loan chung [64] Sẩy đàn tan nghé FAMILY IS A CONTAINER IN ENGLISH IN VIETNAMESE [46] A cupboard love [65] Ân sâu nghĩa nặng [47] A skeleton in the cupboard [66] Cá chậu chim lồng [48] Born out of wedlock [67] Gạo đổ bốc chẳng đầy thưng [49] Dig in your heels [68] Giỏ quai [50] In the club [69] Một chĩnh đôi gáo [51] Have on the brain [70] Nồi đồng lại úp vung đồng [52] Marry beneath your station [71] Nồi vung [72] Tháo cũi sổ lồng [73] Trong ấm êm FAMILY IS A NEST IN ENGLISH IN VIETNAMESE [53] A love nest [74] Chim có tổ người có tơng [54] Cuckoo in the nest [75] Đàn ông cắm chà, đàn bà làm tổ [55] Empty nester [76] Đàn ông xây nhà, đàn bà xây tổ [56] Empty nest syndrome ấm [57] Fly the coop [58] Fly the nest [59] Leave the nest download by : skknchat@gmail.com AP.5 [60] The bird loves her nest [61] To rule the roost FAMILY IS A TREE IN ENGLISH [62] Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree [63] Bear fruit [64] In full bloom IN VIETNAMESE [77] Đơm hoa kết [78] Hoa lìa cành [79] Mỗi hoa nhà cảnh [80] Nhân HAPPY FAMILY IS WARMTH IN ENGLISH IN VIETNAMESE [65] An old flame [81] Ấm lửa đỏ đèn [66] Fan the flames [82] Lửa đượm hương nồng [67] Hearth and home [83] Quạt nồng ấp lạnh [68] Warm her heart [84] Tắt lửa lòng FAMILY RELATIONSHIP IS A ROPE IN ENGLISH IN VIETNAMESE [69] Ball and chain [85] Chồng chắp vợ nối [70] Close-knit [86] Dây tơ hồng [71] Cut loose from [87] Kết tóc trăm năm [72] Get hitched [88] Kết tóc xe tơ [73] Get spliced [89] Lá thắm hồng [74] Go a bundle on sb [90] Lạt mềm buộc chặt [75] Keep a tight rein [91] Rổ rá cạp lại [76] Tie the knot [92] Xe duyên thắm download by : skknchat@gmail.com AP.6 [77] Tied to sb’s apron strings [78] Tug at heartstrings 10 FAMILY IS A BOAT IN ENGLISH IN VIETNAMESE [93] Anh em cọc chèo [94] Một mái chèo xuôi, mái chèo ngược [95] Một thuyền lái 11 MARRIAGE IS WORK OF GOD IN ENGLISH [79] A match in the heaven IN VIETNAMESE [96] Ông tơ bà nguyệt [80] In the seventh heaven 12 FAMILY IS A HOUSEHOLD ITEM IN ENGLISH IN VIETNAMESE [81] A bun in the oven [97] Chăn ấm nệm êm [82] Born on the wrong side of the [98] Chăn đơn gối blanket [99] Chăn loan gối phượng [83] Keep the broken cook [100] Chăn uyên gối ương [84] Wedlock is padlock [101] Chồng bát cịn có xơ [102] Chung chăn chung gối [103] Chung chiếu chung giường [104] Cùng ăn mâm, nằm chiếu download by : skknchat@gmail.com AP.7 [105] Dao chém đằng dọng 13 LOVE IS A GAME IN ENGLISH IN VIETNAMESE [85] Beat one’s game C [86] Marriage is a lottery 14 MARRIAGE IS A WAR IN ENGLISH [87] A shotgun wedding IN VIETNAMESE [10 [106] Chém đằng lưỡi [88] Go to war [107] Cốt nhục tương tàn [89] Half the battle [108] Đâm dao sau lưng [90] Make peace [91] Stab in the back [92] Trouble and strife 15 MARRIAGE IS A JOURNEY IN ENGLISH IN VIETNAMESE [93] At crossroads [109] Bước bước [94] Be on the way [110] Chuyến đò nên nghĩa [95] Burn the boat [111] Đi ngang tắt [96] Cross paths [112] Đường [97] Go to the end of the earth [113] Giữa đường đứt gánh download by : skknchat@gmail.com AP.8 [98] Have come a long way [114] Lầm đường lạc lối [99] In the family way [115] Xuôi chèo mát mái [100] Love sb to death [101] Make way for [102] New arrival [103] Off the tracks [104] On the rocks [105] Runs in the family [106] Start a family 16 MARRIAGE IS A TRANSACTION IN ENGLISH IN VIETNAMESE [107] At all cost [116] Bạc tình bạc nghĩa [108] Bear the brunt of [117] Đồng cân đồng lạng [109] Big deal [118] Trao thân gửi phận [110] In my debt [111] Have dealings with [112] Hold very dear [113] On good terms [114] On the shelf [115] Pay court [116] Tax on marriage 17 LOVE IS POSSESSION IN ENGLISH IN VIETNAMESE download by : skknchat@gmail.com AP.9 [117] At one’s disposal [119] Gìn vàng giữ ngọc [118] Be my baby [120] Của chồng công vợ [119] Be born with a sliver spoon in her mouth [120] You and yours download by : skknchat@gmail.com AP.10 APPENDIX B List of Vietnamese family idioms and their translated versions No Vietnamese idioms Equivalent English idioms Translated version Ấm lửa đỏ đèn Stable, peaceful, cozy life Ăn hai lòng Ambidexter Ân sâu nghĩa nặng Great thanks to the person who wholeheartedly helped People who are in-laws in the same family, some Anh em cọc chèo marrying a sister, some marrying a younger brother Anh em hạt máu sẻ The same flesh and đôi blood Anh em thuận hịa Harmony brothers are nhà có phúc happy family Bạc tình bạc nghĩa Unfaithful in love Bước bước Cá chậu chim lồng To be in captivity or jail Cá chuối đắm đuối Parents love their children wholeheartedly 10 11 12 Cha hổ mang đẻ liu điu Cha hưu mẹ vượn To marry again or a second time Like father like son Like father like son download by : skknchat@gmail.com AP.11 Bad parents give birth to 13 Cha mẹ cú tiên 14 Chăn ấm nệm êm Happy couple Chán cơm thèm Infidelity in one’s phở relationship 15 good children The lonely scene of the 16 Chăn đơn gối couple who have to be apart 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Chăn loan gối Husband and wife live phượng happily together Chăn uyên gối Husband and wife live ương happily together Chém đằng Siblings behave badly with lưỡi each other Love and share in difficult Chia cay sẻ đắng times Chia loan rẽ Breaking the couple's love phượng Love and share in difficult Chia sẻ bùi times Chim có tổ người Birds have nests, people có tơng have lineages Chim nhớ cây, tớ Criticize those who quickly quên thầy forget love Chó nhà, gà chuồng Under the same roof download by : skknchat@gmail.com AP.12 26 27 Chồng bát cịn có Drove a wedge xô between them Chồng chả vợ nem Unfaithful husband and wife Husband and wife are not 28 Chồng chắp vợ nối allowed to get married properly Chồng loan vợ Beautiful couple, live phượng happily together Chung chăn chung Husband and wife live gối happily together Chung chiếu chung Husband and wife live giường happily together Chuyến đò nên Met a couple of times but nghĩa fell in love with each other 33 Có cam phụ quýt Unfaithful person 34 Có lê quên lựu Unfaithful person 35 Có nếp có tẻ To have a boy and a girl 36 Có oản phụ xơi Unfaithful person 29 30 31 32 37 38 Cơm chả lành, canh chả Marital discord Cơm lành, canh Husband and wife live happily together The great gratitude of 39 Cơm nặng áo dày parents in taking care and teaching download by : skknchat@gmail.com AP.13 40 41 42 Wives should yield to their Cơm sôi bớt lửa, husbands to ensure family chồng giận bớt lời Con cha, nhà Con ngựa đau tàu không ăn cỏ happiness Under the same roof When the blood sheds, the heart aches Con nhà tông 43 không giống lông Like father like son giống cánh 44 Con tơng gà nịi 45 Cốt nhục tương tàn Like father like son Siblings’ discord in the house The wife plays a very 46 Của chồng công vợ important role in the success of the husband 47 Cửa nát nhà xiêu Broken home Cùng ăn mâm, 48 Husband and wife live nằm happily together chiếu The same flesh and 49 Cùng giọt máu đào 50 Đâm dao sau lưng Stab in the back Đàn ông cắm chà, Men make houses, đàn bà làm tổ women make home 51 blood download by : skknchat@gmail.com AP.14 52 53 Đàn ông nhà, đàn Men make houses, bà cửa women make home Đàn ông xây nhà, Men make houses, đàn bà xây tổ ấm women make home Blood brothers, no matter 54 Dao chém đằng dọng Bad blood how much they hate each other, they don't want to harm each other 55 Đắp xây móng Set up a family 56 Dây tơ hồng Marriage ties 57 Đi ngang tắt 58 59 60 Đói bụng chồng đau lòng vợ To have extramarital relations When the blood sheds, the heart aches Đời cha ăn mặn, Children have to suffer for đời khát nước their parents’ sins Đói lịng héo hon cha mẹ When the blood sheds, the heart aches 61 Đơm hoa kết Have children 62 Đồng cân đồng lạng Matching couple Dột từ dột A fish rots from the xuống head 64 Đường Broken home 65 Gà chuồng đá Bad blood 63 Siblings quarrel with each download by : skknchat@gmail.com AP.15 lẫn 66 Gà mẹ 67 Gà trống nuôi 68 The same flesh and blood Widowers It is impossible to regain Gạo đổ bốc chẳng the old feelings after đầy thưng 69 Gìn vàng giữ ngọc 70 Giỏ quai 71 other Giữa đường đứt gánh serious disagreement A good wife is a good prize Like father like son Broken home 72 Hạt máu rơi 73 Hạt máu sẻ đơi 74 Hết lịng hết Heart and soul 75 Hổ phụ sinh hổ tử Like father like son 76 Hoa lìa cành 77 Kết tóc trăm năm 78 Kết tóc xe tơ Unacknowledged child The same flesh and blood The daughter got married, away from her parents Form a lasting marriage Tie the knot People who don’t share the 79 Khác máu lòng same blood often treat each other badly 80 Lá thắm hồng Matrimonial ties 81 Lầm đường lạc lối To be misguided or misled download by : skknchat@gmail.com AP.16 82 83 84 85 86 The skillful behavior of Lạt mềm buộc chặt husband and wife Loan phụng hòa Husband and wife live minh happily together Lòng son sắt Faithfulness Lửa đượm hương Intense love of husband nồng and wife Máu thấm thịt When the blood sheds, the heart aches When the blood 87 Máu chảy ruột mềm sheds, the heart aches 88 89 90 Máu mủ ruột già The same flesh and blood Mẹ con, lần da The same flesh and đến thịt blood Mỗi hoa There is black sheep nhà cảnh in every flock When the blood 91 Môi hở lạnh sheds, the heart aches 92 93 94 Một chĩnh đôi gáo Unfaithful person Một giọt máu đào Blood is thicker ao nước lã than water Một lòng Body and sould download by : skknchat@gmail.com AP.17 Một mái chèo xuôi 95 Conflict between husband mái chèo and wife ngược 96 97 Một thuyền lái Ngậm đắng nuốt cay Monogamous family Bite the bullet 98 Nhà tan cửa nát Broken home 99 Nhân Like father like son Help and share with each 100 Nhường cơm sẻ áo 101 Nồi đồng lại úp Every Jack has his vung đồng Jill 102 Nồi vung 103 Ông tơ bà nguyệt 104 other when in need Every Jack has his Jill Matchmaker Phượng chạ loan Husband and wife live chung happily together Intense love of husband 105 Quạt nồng ấp lạnh and wife When the blood 106 Răng cắn phải lưỡi sheds, the heart aches 107 Rẽ cửa chia nhà Broken home A marriage between a man 108 Rổ rá cạp lại and a woman in which one or both of them have been download by : skknchat@gmail.com AP.18 married once 109 Sẩy đàn tan nghé Lost the herd 110 Sum họp nhà Under the same roof A mother must endure 111 Sượng mẹ bở hardship in order to make her child happy Disappointed, no longer 112 Tắt lửa lòng love the other When the blood 113 Tay đứt ruột xót sheds, the heart aches 114 Tháo cũi sổ lồng To open the flood-gates Intimate relationship 115 Trao thân gửi phận between husband and wife 116 Trong ấm êm Peace at home and aboard First wife and her eldest 117 Vợ cột son Contract marriage with 118 Xe duyên thắm somebody The harmony of husband 119 Xuôi chèo mát mái 120 and wife Xương bỏ da bọc The same flesh and lấy blood download by : skknchat@gmail.com ... skknchat@gmail.com 14 Weapons in war Troops in war Battleground of war Outbreak of war Manoeuvres of war Military invasion in war Barrier of war Defence in war Results of war Means to gain advantage... qualitative approaches to investigate conceptual metaphors in family idioms in English and Vietnamese Quantitative research provided a direct comparison between English and Vietnamese data and. .. fathers and mothers and their kids, siblings, and cousins, as well as the lifestyles of family members Family idioms are popular in both English and Vietnamese In English, idioms denoting family