时间隐喻的类型学试析——以汉藏语系语言为例

A Study on Temporal Metaphor in Some Sino——Tibetan Languages

汉藏语系若干语支的代表性语言———汉、景颇、藏和傣等语言都有“空间隐喻时间”的共性,在时间类型上都有以下五种:1.时间是空间;2.时间是动体;3.时间是容器;4.时间是距离;5.时间是特征。同时这些时间隐喻又具有个性,在词汇层面上各具特色:第一,所选的少数民族语时间词形态理据较为明显;第二,所选的少数民族语更倾向于将时间拟人化;第三,汉语和藏语的时间隐喻在纵向维度上比景颇、傣语的丰富;第四,所选的少数民族语中许多表示时间的词语是自然特征的借代。

In Some Sino——Tibetan Languages such as Han, Jingpho, Tibetan, and Dai languages, a common feature-the conceptual metaphor “time is space”-exist in these languages systematically. And five categories are found： （1） time is space; （2） time is moving object; （3） time is vessel; （4） time is distance; （5） time is feature. These temporal metaphors also have their own traits-at the lexical level time is expressed variously： （1） time words in minority languages are more transparent in morphemic motivation than those in Chinese; （2） time tends to be personalized in Jingpho, Tibetan, and Dai languages; （3） vertical metaphor （“up”and “down”） in Han language and especially in Tibetan language is expressed in a much richer fashion; （4） many season words in these minority languages are metonymies of the nature＇s feature.