Original scientific paper
Searching for hidden ancient containers in the Old Croatian language: the body and emotions as containers
Amir Kapetanović
orcid.org/0000-0002-8013-9330
; Institute for Croatian Language and Linguistics
Abstract
The article uses cognitive metaphor theory to analyse the conception of both the body
and of emotions as containers. Reflections of two differing conceptual metaphors projecting
the container image schema (THE BODY IS A CONTAINER FOR EMOTIONS and EMOTION IS A CONTAINER)
in both the Old Croatian language and the modern Croatian standard language
are documented. Additionally, the ancient conception of emotion as a fluid (EMOTION IS A
FLUID IN A CONTAINER) is described, and it is shown how emotion can be both a substance
in a container and a container substance in both medieval and modern Croatian texts.
The final section of the article confirms the application of the container image schema to
imaginary beings through descriptions of the devil’s body from medieval Croatian texts.
This research made use of a digitally searchable online corpus of the Croatian language
(containing 19th and 20th century texts), as well as an as–of–yet publicly inaccessible digital
archive of Old Croatian texts (currently consisting of texts written in the 14th and 15th
century). This article is a contribution to diachronic research of conceptual metaphor,
as well as an attempt to apply cognitive metaphor theory to medieval studies research
attempting to reveal the foundational conceptions of medieval man. It is concluded that
Croatian written heritage contains traces of very old (universal) concepts, which have
remained stable throughout the ages.
Keywords
cognitive metaphor theory; medieval studies; body; emotions; container image schema; conceptual metaphor; Old Croatian
Hrčak ID:
114361
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2013.
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