Abstract
In this study, we explore the polysemy of Jin. It is found that the polysemous network of Jin can be divided into two groups. The first sense group is composed of three senses. The sense 'to proceed' is the prototype of the first group. As in the LIFE IS A JOURNEY metaphor, progress in terms of time can be viewed as the distance traveled, and hence another sense arises. As for another sense, the GOOD IS FRONTWARD metaphor accounts for why Jin stands for good. The second sense group comprises five senses. Jinlai 'to enter a bounded space' is the central instance of the second group. The containment metaphor, which conceptualizes not only physical objects but also non-physical phenomena including an area, a stomach for digesting, eyesight, and wealth as containers, provides a basis for why Jin are tied to the other three senses of the second sense group, all of which describe an entity moving into the inner space. The findings of this study indicate that the discrepancy between language and mental process is not one of kind; in addition, meaning is built on the conceptual structure formed by the interaction with the outer world rather than objective reality.
Highlights
If language is shaped by cognition, the polysemy of a lexical item is by definition a product of human categorization
The polysemous network of Jin can be divided into two groups: the first group is composed of senses 1 to 3; the second senses 4 to 8
As in the LIFE IS A JOURNEY metaphor, progress in terms of time can be viewed as the distance traveled, and sense 2 arises
Summary
The idea of radial categories is introduced. In addition, the path schema is employed as to account for why the polysemy of Jin can be divided into two major sense groups. We present relevant metaphorical transformations needed to capture the polysemy of Jin. Human beings categorize things, based on the features that things share. If language is shaped by cognition, the polysemy of a lexical item is by definition a product of human categorization. Lexical polysemy arises out of the effects of human categorization. This research, from a cognitive viewpoint, explores how the polysemy of Mandarin Chinese Jin emerges. In qianjin ‘to proceed’, Jin describes something moving horizontally in space. Still in jinlai ‘to go into a space’, Jin portrays something moving into a contained space. From these examples, we suggest that the polysemous nature of Jin is worth investigating
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