OPPOSITIONAL METAPHOR LIGHT AND DARK VIA THE ASSOCIATIVE EXPERIMENTS

Abstract

Cognitive linguistics considers language as a window into human consciousness providing insights into its structures and reflecting fundamental properties of the human mind. Therefore, it reveals new prospects in studying binary oppositions within human consciousness via their language manifestations. This study aims to analyse the interplay of cognitive mechanisms of contradistinction and conceptual metaphors. The paper presents an empirical investigation of the binary opposition LIGHT-DARK based on the data of the Associative Thesauri. The working hypothesis is that associative network is motivated by hierarchical conceptual structures existing in the speakers’ minds. Therefore, responses evoked by certain stimuli can be regarded as the reflection of corresponding conceptual structures. The responses obtained via AE confirm a tight connection between LIGHT and DARK and human ability of seeing as it was described by Wierzbicka (1996: 288). Furthermore, the obtained responses give possibility to trace the ways, in which LIGHT – ABILITY OF SEEING – REASONING, on the one hand, and DARK – INABILITY TO SEE – ABSENCE OF KNOWLEDGE/EDUCATION, on the other hand, are interconnected and all together generate metaphors in systematic way. The analysis of the responses reveals binary oppositions interacting with the opposition LIGHT – DARK. The consciousness of contemporary bearers of languages and cultures preserves deep-rooted relations of the light – dark opposition with the corresponding parts of other binary oppositions, namely day – night; sun – moon; white – black, red – black; sky – earth; happiness – unhappiness, life – death, etc. within the evaluative opposition positive – negative. Blended with metaphorical mappings, the LIGHT – DARK opposition creates complex mental images, which can be termed ‘oppositional metaphors’.