CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR FROM PLANTS TO BODY; THE MEANING CONSTRUCTION OF NOUN-NOUN COMPOUNDS IN THAI

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the semantic structures and meaning-construction processes of Thai noun–noun compounds that convey body-related meanings and compare them with plant-related conceptualizations. The analysis is grounded in the Conceptual Metaphor Theory proposed by Lakoff and Johnson (1980) and the Conceptual Blending Theory developed by Fauconnier & Turner (1998). The data for this research consist of noun–noun compounds collected from two sources: (1) The Royal Institute Dictionary (2011), and (2) Khlang Khom (Revised Edition, 2016).

The analysis of the semantic structure of five Thai noun–noun compounds denoting body-related meanings, which were compared to plant-based conceptualizations, reveals that the head of the compounds retain their original meanings, referring to bodily organs or parts, while the modifiers convey metaphorical meanings. The compounds derive their meanings through the mapping of plant characteristics onto those of body parts to describe their specific features. These reflect the metaphorical cognitive system underlying Thai speakers’ conceptualizations. In addition, explaining the meanings of the body-related compounds-compared with plant-based conceptualizations-through conceptual integration networks reveals the interconnections among the conceptual domains necessary for interpreting these compounds. This analysis further clarifies the cognitive processes employed by Thai speakers in constructing the meanings of the five compounds examined in this study.