The Role of Metaphor and Metonymy in the Semantics of Persian Adjectival Preverbs: A Cognitive Linguistics Approach

In this paper, a semantic classification for Persian adjectival preverbs based on Conceptual Metaphor Theory is presented: adjectival preverbs demonstrating metaphorical shift and adjectival preverbs lacking metaphorical shift. As will bediscussed in the paper, the metaphors involved in the first subclass of adjectival preverbs are motivated by a certain type of conceptual metonymy known as EFFECT FOR CAUSE . The latter subclass covers preverbs whose combinationwith the light verb does not show any metaphorical shift. Having detected two mentioned cognitive processes in the formation of semantics of the complexpredicates containing the first subclass of preverbs, the compositional nature of semantics of the predicates was realized and two new meanings for kærdæn (to do) as light verb in Persian complex predicates were proposed: to become and to make oneself . Another finding of this paper is the introduction of pejda kærd as the first two-word light verb of Persian.

Keywords:

Adjectival Preverbs , Conceptual Metaphor Theory , Metonymy