A Cognitive Study of Sorrow Metaphors in Arabic and English Languages: A Comparative Study

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of English Language, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran

2 M.A. Candidate, Dept. of English Language, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran

3 Associate Prof, Dept. of English Language, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran

Abstract

Metaphorical expressions, especially emotional metaphors, are widely used in daily language. This study aimed to show how “sorrow,” an emotional concept, is metaphorised in Arabic compared to English from the cognitive perspective theories of Lakoff and Johnson (1980) and Kovecses (2000; 2002). To accomplish this goal, similarities and differences between the two languages in using metaphorical expressions when conceptualizing sorrow were drawn. 80 common sorrow phrases were collected in the Arabic language. Then, these expressions were categorized based on their metaphorical mapping to compare them with English expressions. The findings of this study showed that both languages (Arabic and English) had several basic levels in conceptualizing feelings of sorrow based on common bodily experiences. However, a cultural gap between Arabic and English leads to differences in some of the metaphorical expressions. Some of these cultural-specific differences could be the result of some cultural properties of each culture like climate, customs, natural elements, and lifestyle.

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Main Subjects

Linguistic Studies: Theory and Practice

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 29 September 2025

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History

  • Receive Date: 09 April 2025
  • Revise Date: 26 August 2025
  • Accept Date: 25 September 2025

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