MARITIME-RELATED CONCEPTUAL METAPHORS IN TURKISH

Abstract

Conceptual metaphor is defined as a process that maps different conceptual fields in the conceptual system in our minds. Metaphor has permeated the Daily life, not only to language but to thought and action, and our conceptual system is fundamentally a metaphorical one. Put it differently, metaphor is the most basic process we use to conceptualise the world. However, it can be argued that metaphor explains not only how individuals conceptualise the world but how societies think. In this context, this study aims at determining the linguistic metaphors related to maritime, and to investigate, setting forth from these linguistic metaphors, whether it is possible to postulate conceptual metaphors. To this aim, the maritime terms, gathered from the Turkish Dictionary were searched in the Turkish National Corpus, and a database was established. This database was analysed using MIP-VU, and maritime-related linguistic metaphors were obtained. Conceptual metaphors were determined using these linguistic metaphors and later these conceptual metaphors were combined under common ones. The most prominent conceptual metaphor we obtained from our findings is EMOTIONS/IDEAS/INSTITUTIONS ARE VESSELS conceptual metaphor.