A Cognitive Analysis of Cross-linguistic Differences Between English and Persian Image Schemas

Abstract

Meaning is formed in our mind on the basis of our physical experience in the world. We perceive the environment when we move our body, exert and experience force. Regarding these experiences, some primary conceptual structures are developed which help us understand abstract ideas. These conceptual structures appear differently in various languages. The purpose of the present study is to show what similarities or differences are between English and Persian conceptual structures. To this end, following the theoretical framework of image schema which is an important theory of cognitive semantics, we took advantage of Mark Johnson’s proposal of schemas such as containment, path, and force. The data have been obtained from the novel “1984†written by George Orwell and its two translations by Saleh Hosseini and Hamid Reza Baluch. The results of the study indicate that there are some similarities in the use conceptual structures in English and Persian; however, there are some differences which will be discussed. Some pedagogical implications are also suggested.