Analysis of the image schema of power in Birjand's proverbs

Articles in Press

Document Type : مقالات علمی پژوهشی

Author
Z. rajabi
Assistant Professor of Persian Language and Literature Department at Arak University.
Abstract
Image schemas are macrocognitive patterns and structures that form the basis of our linguistic, mental and perceptual processes; and their function is based on the metaphorical-analogous relationship between visual experiences and frequent and everyday abstract concepts. In proverbs, like pictorial schemas, the use of metaphor-simile to convey a familiar mental concept between the speaker and the listener based on people's lived experiences is evident. Evans and Green have researched about image schemas and separated them into 8 types. One of these is the image schema of power. Since the precision in the structure of visual schemas can reveal the mental and cognitive structure of the users of a language, in the present research, the visual schema of power in Birjand's proverbs has been investigated in a descriptive-analytical way. Based on the results, out of the total of 1291 proverbs of Birjand, in 314 of them there are 7 types of visual schema of power; Most of them are of the type of blockage, enablement and counter force, which is proportional to the nature of the power schema; and found that between the frequency of the origin and destination areas of these schemas and cultural-environmental factors, and tools in removing obstacles, the importance of food and economic affairs to maintain survival, lack of plant diversity, desert and semi-desert climate of Birjand region has had a significant impact on the formation and continuation of proverbs with the schema of power, which emphasize the target areas of human relations, ethics and economy.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 13 July 2025