(LUẬN văn THẠC sĩ) conceptual metaphors denoting anger in the dailystar co uk and cand com vn (2012 2013) from cognitive semantics

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HA NOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

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TRẦN THỊ MINH YẾN

CONCEPTUAL METAPHORS DENOTING “ANGER”
IN THE DAILYSTAR.CO.UK AND CAND.COM.VN (2012-2013)
FROM COGNITIVE SEMANTICS
(Ẩn dụ ý niệm biểu đạt “sự tức giận” trong báo dailystar.co.uk và báo
cand.com.vn (2012-2013) dưới góc độ ngữ nghĩa học tri nhận)

M.A. Minor Programme Thesis

Field: English Linguistics
Code: 60220201

Hanoi – 2014

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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HA NOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

----------o0o----------

TRẦN THỊ MINH YẾN

CONCEPTUAL METAPHORS DENOTING “ANGER”
IN THE DAILYSTAR.CO.UK AND CAND.COM.VN (2012-2013)
FROM COGNITIVE SEMANTICS
(Ẩn dụ ý niệm biểu đạt “sự tức giận” trong báo dailystar.co.uk và báo
cand.com.vn (2012-2013) dưới góc độ ngữ nghĩa học tri nhận)

M.A. Minor Programme Thesis

Field: English Linguistics
Code: 60220201
Supervisor: Dr. Huỳnh Anh Tuấn

Hanoi – 2014

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DECLARATION
Title:
“Conceptual metaphors denoting “anger” in the dailystar.co.uk and
cand.com.vn (2012-2013) from Cognitive Semantics Perspectives”

I certificate that no part of the above report has been copied or reproduced by
me from any other person‟s work without acknowledgements and that the report
is originally written by me under strict guidance of my supervisor.
Hanoi, 27h November, 2014
Trầ n Thi ̣Minh Yế n

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to express my deep gratitude to my supervisor
Dr. Huỳnh Anh Tuấn who has given me invaluable advice, suggestions as well as the
inspiration and encouragement to complete this thesis. I am sure the paper would have
not been possible without his big help and such useful guidance.
My great thankfulness is also given to the teachers of Faculty of Postgraduate
Studies for their ideas to my paper and many thanks to all my friends who have
encouraged and helped me during the time of collecting necessary data, information
for the study.
Especially, I would like to acknowledge and extend my heartfelt gratitude to
my whole family for their support given to me through the long time of 2 years in
university as well as in difficult time to finish this thesis.
In addition, I personally wish to thank all my readers for their attention, and I
would highly appreciate any comments to my study.

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ABSTRACT
Metaphor, especially conceptual metaphor, is a cognitive device for humans to
conceptualize abstract domains. Having chosen Lakoff and Johnson‟s Conceptual
Metaphor Theory as the analytical framework, 77 samples from English and
Vietnamese newspapers were analyzed to address how conceptual metaphors for anger
work in English and Vietnamese newspapers as well as indicate the similarities and

differences between English and Vietnamese in terms of those conceptual metaphors.
It aims to enhance the effectiveness of teaching, learning and understanding
conceptual metaphors in English and Vietnamese. Within the limit of a brief research,
the author expect that the two languages - English and Vietnamese - which express the
conceptual metaphors involved will reveal some different features of the two cultures.

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Table of contents
i

DECLARATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ii

ABSTRACT

iii

Part A

INTRODUCTION

1.

Rationale

1

2.

Significance of the study

2

3.

Aims of the study

2

5.

Scope of the study

4

6.

Methodology

4

7.

Organization of the study

4

Part B

DEVELOPMENT

5

Chapter 1

Literature Review and Theoretical Background

5

1.1.

Literature Review

6

1.2.

Theoretical Background

6

Cognitive Semantics

7

1.2.1.1.

Definition of cognitive semantics

7

1.2.1.2.

Main tenets of cognitive semantics

7

Metaphor

8

1.2.2.1.

Traditional views on metaphor

8

1.2.2.2.

Metaphor in the light of cognitive linguistics

9

1.2.3.

Conceptual metaphors

9

1.2.4.

Classification of conceptual metaphors

10

1.2.4.1.

Structural metaphor

10

1.2.4.2.

Orientational metaphor

10

1.2.4.3.

Ontological metaphor

10

Metaphorical mappings

11

1.2.1.

1.2.2.

1.2.5.

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1.2.5.1.

Mapping principles

11

1.2.5.2.

Metaphorical entailment

11

Chapter 2

Research Methodology

11

2.1.

Research questions

12

2.2.

Research methods

12

2.3.

Research procedures

13

2.4.

Data collection and data analysis

13

2.4.1.

Data collection

13

2.4.2.

Data analysis

14

2.4.2.1.

Analytical framework

14

2.4.2.2.

Analytical units

14

Chapter 3

Data Analysis

14

3.1.

Structural metaphors

15

3.1.1.

Anger is fire

15

3.1.2.

Anger is a hot fluid in a container

16

3.1.3.

Anger is madness/ insanity

20

3.1.4.

Anger is a burden

21

3.1.5.

Anger is a natural force

22

3.1.6.

Anger is a dangerous animal

23

3.1.7.

Anger is a container / a bounded space

24

3.1.8.

Anger is an object

25

3.1.9.

Anger is an opponent (in a struggle)

25

Ontological metaphors

28

3.2.1.

The eye is a container

28

3.2.2.

Internal organs (the heart, the liver) are containers

28

3.2.3.

The mind is a container

29

3.2.4.

The voice is a container

29

Orientational metaphor

31

Anger is up, cooling anger is down

30

Findings and Discussion

31

3.2.

3.3.
3.3.1.
Chapter 4

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4.1.

Structural metaphors

32

4.2.

Ontological metaphors

34

4.3.

Orientational metaphors

34

Part C

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

35

Recapitulation

37

Implications

38

Limitation and suggestion for further research

38

REFERENCES

39

APPENDICES

I

APPENDIX I

I

APPENDIX II

IV

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PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
Over the last decades, newspapers have made much progress in the world of means of
communication to benefit humankind. Journalists always take into account language
use to catch readers‟ curiosity and excitement; however, sometimes this has created
challenges for readers in understanding the metaphors used in their writings.
Metaphor is an interesting linguistic subject which has attracted the attention of many
linguists. In traditional linguistics, only metaphor in literature was considered as the
main object of study. However, in the light of modern cognitive linguistics, not only
metaphor in literature but also metaphor in daily life language is investigated. More
importantly, metaphor does not only serve as a means of expressing thought, it is also
a vehicle of cognition, a means which helps realize how human beings‟ cognitive
processes take place. Metaphor is a tool through which we comprehend an abstract
concept in terms of a more concrete concept, which is thus called conceptual
metaphor.
Emotion, as an important aspect of human experience, conceptualized and expressed

in metaphorical terms. In other words, such an abstract concept is conceptualized and
expressed in terms of a more concrete concept by means of metaphor.
There have been several studies on the function of metaphors in the conceptualization
of emotions including both positive and negative ones in English and Vietnamese.
However, we have scant knowledge about the importance of the basic experiences in
emotion conceptualization such as the association of human emotion with internal
organs and the cultural views resulting from it.
For the reasons above, “An investigation into conceptual metaphors denoting „anger‟
in English and Vietnamese newspapers from cognitive semantics perspective” will be
a contribution to profound linguistic knowledge of conceptual metaphor which might
help Vietnamese teachers, learners, and translators of English understand cultural
elements that have a great influence on using metaphorical expressions and use the
English language more effectively.

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2. Significance of the study
2.1. In terms of theory
This study is expected to provide useful contributions to studies of linguistic units
from cognitive semantic approach, which has subsequently been elaborated in
researches in other fields such as psychology, psycholinguist.
2.2. In terms of practice
This research is expected to be a useful contribution to teaching, learning, and
translating emotion metaphors used in English and Vietnamese newspapers. The
research is also carried out in the hope that its findings will help Vietnamese learners
of English enrich their knowledge of conceptual metaphor, understand cultural
elements that have a great influence on using metaphorical expressions, and enhance

learners‟ evaluable skills in interpreting and translating newspapers as well.
3. Aims of the study
The study aims at investigating conceptual metaphors denoting “anger” in English and
Vietnamese newspapers from 2012 to 2013 in the light of cognitive semantics.
Specifically, it aims at the following:
-

Investigating how the concept of “anger” is metaphorically expressed in English

and Vietnamese newspapers
-

Investigating the similarities and differences in expressions of conceptual

metaphors denoting “anger” in English and Vietnamese newspapers
-

Suggesting the implications for the teaching, learning, and translating of

conceptual metaphors denoting “anger” in newspapers.
4. Scope of the study
Due to the limited time, this research investigates only the similarities and differences
in expressions of conceptual metaphors denoting “anger” in English and Vietnamese
newspapers in the background knowledge of cognitive semantics.
5. Methodology
5.1. Research Questions
In order to achieve the aims of the study, the following research questions are to
be answered:
1. How are concepts for anger metaphorically expressed in English and Vietnamese
newspapers?

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2. What are the similarities and differences in expressions of conceptual metaphors
denoting anger in English and Vietnamese newspapers?
5.2. Research Method
The study will be carried out through contrastive analysis in order to investigate the
similarities and differences in expressions of conceptual metaphors denoting anger in
English and Vietnamese newspapers from 2012 to 2013 from cognitive semantics
perspective.
5.3. Data collection
To conduct this research, 77 metaphorical expressions of anger are collected from the
dailystar.co.uk and cand.com.vn (2012-2013). The most interesting and concrete ones
are selected to illustrate important points under our investigation.
5.4. Data analysis
Basing on Lakoff and Johnson‟s conceptual metaphor theory which was introduced in
their influential book of Metaphor We Live By (1980) as the model of linguistic
expressions of metaphor, data will be both quantitatively qualitatively analyzed. In this
model, conceptual metaphors are classified into three different kinds, namely
structural

metaphors,

orientational

metaphors

and

ontological

metaphor.

Quantitatively, the data will be analyzed in terms of the frequencies of structural,
orientational, and ontological metaphors. Qualitatively, the data will be analyzed,
examined and evaluated in order to find out the similarities and differences in
expressions denoting anger in English and Vietnamese newspapers.
6. Organization of the study
This study will cover the three main parts:
Part A: Introduction will present the rationale, the significance, the aims, the scope,
the methodology, and the organization of the study.
Part B: Development will consist of four chapters:
Chapter 1: Theoretical background and Literature review provide an extensive
background of cognitive linguistics, conceptual metaphor, and newspaper language.
Theoretical matters related to the study such as definition of cognitive semantics, main
tenets of cognitive semantics, theories of metaphor, conceptual metaphors, metaphoric
mappings, and features of newspaper language are discussed. Related studies are

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reviewed in order to provide the context for the research that is significant to the work
that the author is carrying out.
Chapter 2: Research Methodology will discuss the methods and the procedures of the
research. This chapter will also deal with the description of samples and how the data
are collected, described and analyzed.

Chapter 3: Data Analysis will firstly focus on analyzing and discussing conceptual
metaphor of expressions of anger in English and Vietnamese newspapers.
Chapter 4: Findings and Discussion will discuss the similarities and differences in
metaphorical expressions denoting anger in the two languages.
Part C: Conclusion will summarize the study‟s results and presents the suggested
implications for learning, teaching and translating conceptual metaphors in English
and Vietnamese. It will also present some limitations and suggestions for further
research.

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PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: Literature Review and Theoretical Background
1.1.

Literature review

1.1.1. In the world
Cognitive linguistics originally emerged in the 1970s with studies of linguists who
were concerned with investigating the relationship between human language, the
mind, and the socio – physical experience and in the meanwhile denied formal
approaches of studying linguistic structures using only the components within
language. During the 1980s, the works of Lakoff and Johnson on cognitive linguistics
began to attract much attention. Typically, the publication of their first influential book
“Metaphors We Live By” in 1980 marked a turning point in metaphor studies from the
cognitive perspectives. In this book, they explain that metaphor provides us with
understanding other subjects through using what we know about our physical and

social experience. Such metaphors structure our most basic understandings of our
experiences; shape our perceptions and actions without our ever noticing them. This
work is the main theoretical source providing the model as well as the instrument of
the analysis for the present study.
We can say that it was their work that has partly defined cognitive linguistics itself as
we know it today. They have established that intangible concepts are comprehended
metaphorically in terms of more basic concepts. Emotion has an extremely complex
structure and as such, it is systematically conceptualized via more tangible things.
Over the last decades, a great number of conceptual emotion metaphors have been
identified and described by many linguists. Typically Lakoff and Kovecses in “The
Cognitive Model of Anger Inherent in American English” (1983) gave the conceptual
structure and metaphorical expressions of anger in English which provide me with a
research material for a contrast with Vietnamese equivalents.
1.1.2. In Vietnam
Cognitive linguistics in Vietnamese has made contribution to the development of
cognitive linguistics. In “Ngôn ngữ học tri nhận – từ lý thuyết đại cương đến thực tiễn
tiếng Việt” (Cognitive Linguistics: From Theory to Vietnamese Application), Lý Toàn
Thắng (2005) draws out the historical background and typical works of cognitive
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linguistics. The author also applies cognitive semantics theory into Vietnamese
language and focused on such issues such cognitive models, Figure/Ground
relationships, prototypes, and categorization. The great contribution of his book lies
under the result of detailed examination about the model of spatial cognition used in
Vietnam. In “Ngôn ngữ học tri nhận (Ghi chép và suy nghĩ)” (Cognitive Linguistics)
(Notes and Thoughts), Trần Văn Cơ (2007) gives an overview of metaphor and
conceptual metaphor, the development of conceptual metaphor in the world and in

Vietnam.
Subsequently, there have been several articles, books on cognitive metaphor such as
Nguyễn Đức Tồn in his article “Đặc trưng tư duy của người Việt qua ẩn dụ tri nhận
trong thành ngữ” (Characteristics of the Vietnamese thinking through cognitive
metaphor in idioms) (2008); Nguyễn Lai in “Suy nghĩ về ẩn dụ khái niệm trong thế
giới thi ca từ góc nhìn của ngơn ngữ học tri nhận” (Thinking about conceptual
metaphor in poetry from cognitive linguistics perspectives) (2009), etc.
Besides, the subfield emotion metaphor has been explored with some minor researches
by Trần Bá Tiến (2009), Bùi Khánh Ly (2012), etc. In those studies, the authors make
a brief account of metaphorical expressions of anger, sadness, fear or happiness in
short stories, novels, or poems. Of all previous studies I have read, there has hardly
been any one conducting on emotion anger with a contrast between English and
Vietnamese under the analyzed source of data as newspapers. That inspired me to pay
a particular attention to metaphorical expressions of anger in English and Vietnamese
newspapers.
1.2.

Theoretical background

1.2.1. Cognitive Semantics
1.2.1.1. Definition
Cognitive semantics is part of cognitive linguistics. The area of study in cognitive
semantics investigates the relationship between experience, cognitive processing, and
the semantic structure encoded by language. To put it simply, scholars studying in
cognitive semantics investigate knowledge representation (conceptual structure), and
meaning construction (conceptualization).

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1.2.1.2.

Main tenets of cognitive semantics

As summarized by Evans and Green (2006: 157), the four major principles of
cognitive semantics are as follow:
a. Conceptual structure is embodied
According to Evans and Green (2006), we perceive the world from our independent
perspectives. Each person has his or her own ways of looking at the world, which is
fundamentally based on his or her own bodily experience. The perception then
becomes our conceptions of the perceived world, which remains in our mind as
concepts.
b. Semantic structure is conceptual structure.
The second principle confirms semantic structure is conceptual structure but does not
mean that the two are identical. Instead, cognitive semanticists claim that the semantic
structure (meanings associated with linguistic units) such as words, for example, form
only a subset of possible concepts in the mind of the speaker. (Evan and Green, 2006)
c.

Meaning representation is encyclopedic.

The third major principle holds that semantic structure is encyclopedic in nature.
Lexical concepts do not represent a bundle of meaning, but access to repositories of
knowledge relating to a particular concept (Evan and Green, 2006: 160).
d. Meaning construction is conceptualization
“Meaning construction is equated with conceptualization, a process whereby linguistic
units serve as prompts for an array of conceptual operations and the recruitment of
background knowledge” (Evan and Green, 2006: 162).

1.2.2. Metaphor
1.2.2.1 Traditional views on metaphor
There are various definitions of metaphor proposed by different linguists and scholars
in different perspectives.
Đỗ Hữu Châu (1966: 54) states that ẩn dụ “là cách gọi tên một sự vật này bằng tên một
sự vật khác, giữa chúng có mối quan hệ tương đồng”. (Metaphor is a way of naming
an object in terms of the name of another, based on the similar relationship
between them).
For Đinh Trọng Lạc (1995: 194), “phép ẩn dụ là phương thức chuyển nghĩa của một
đối tượng này thay cho đối tượng khác khi hai đối tượng có một nét nghĩa tương đồng
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nào đó”. (Metaphor is the transference of meaning from one object to another based on
similarity between these two objects).
Nguyễn Hòa (2001: 106) shares similar view that “metaphor is the transference of
meaning (name) from one object to another based on similar relationship between
these two objects, i.e. we call one object by the name of another because we compare
these objects and find some common features between them.”
In short, for traditional views, metaphor implies a certain kind of comparison and the
transference of names of one thing to another basing on similar relationship between
them.
1.2.2.2. Metaphor in the light of cognitive linguistics
The publication of the masterpiece Metaphor We Live By contributed by the American
linguists George Lakoff and Mark Johnson in 1980 opened a new horizon for
researchers on metaphor studies from the cognitive perspective. They point out that
metaphor is „pervasive‟ in everyday life, not only as a view of rhetorical device but as
a cognitive way of thinking and perceiving the real world. This viewpoint is shared by

Barcelona (2000: 3) who states that “metaphor is the cognitive mechanism whereby
one experiential domain is partially „mapped‟, i.e. projected onto a different
experiential domain so that the second domain is partially understood in terms of
another experiential domain”.
Generally speaking, metaphor in the light of cognitive linguistics is not merely a
means of communication but also a means of cognition, a means in which people
understand and explain about the real world.
1.2.3. Conceptual metaphor
According to Lakoff and Johnson (1980), conceptual metaphor is when we understand
one conceptual domain in terms of another conceptual domain.
Johansen (2007: 11) states that a conceptual metaphor is “a metaphor that exists in the
mind of a speaker, and may thus be unconscious”.
For Radden and Divren (2007: 16), conceptual metaphor is viewed as “a means of
understanding abstract domains by relating them to better-known domains and
experiences in the physical world”.
In “Khảo luận ẩn dụ tri nhận (A Treatise of Cognitive Linguistics), Trần Văn Cơ
(2009: 86-87) explains carefully that conceptual metaphor is viewed as when we think
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one object in terms of another one. Metaphors are often related to the complex and
abstract objects, but not the discrete ones. Thereby, in the process of perception, these
complex and abstract things, through metaphor, establish the correlation with more
concrete or observable ones (for instance, human emotions can be compared with fire,
the fields of economics and politics can be compared with games, sport contests, etc.)
1.2.4. Classification of conceptual metaphor
In Lakoff and Johnson‟s point of view, there are three kinds of conceptual metaphors
such as structural, orientational, and ontological metaphor.

1.2.4.1. Structural metaphor
Lakoff and Johnson (1980: 15) defined structural metaphor as “cases where one
concept is metaphorically structured in terms of another”. Let‟s consider typical
examples of the conceptual metaphor Love is a journey taken from Lakoff (1993: 4):
Our love has hit a dead – end street.
We may have to go our separate ways.
The marriage is on the rocks.
Our relationship is off the track.
These are some every English expressions describing LOVE. It can easily be seen that
love, with all its ups and downs, difficulties and impediments, is likened to a journey
through structural metaphor.
By virtue of the structure of a more familiar and concrete image, we understand the
less concrete one.
1.2.4.2. Orientational metaphor
Orientational metaphors deal with spatial orientations which derived from our constant
interaction with our environment and experiences in the physical world. These spatial
orientations include up-down, in-out, front-back, deep-shallow, and central-peripheral.
We can observe in the examples of this kind of metaphor Happy is up, Sad is down
taken from Lakoff and and Johnson (1980: 15):
My spirits rose.
My spirit sank.
1.2.4.3. Ontological metaphor
Ontological metaphor is used to comprehend activities and states. Here are some
examples of the container metaphor taken from Lakoff and Johnson (1980: 31-32):
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- Emotional states are container

He‟s in love.
He‟s coming out of trouble now.
The prepositions in, out relating to the emotions are containers metaphor. All these
cases conjure up the image of a three – dimensional bounded region (an emotion,
abstract entity).
1.2.5. Metaphorical mapping
1.2.5.1. Mapping principles
According to Radden and Divren (2007), conceptual metaphor is “a conceptual shift”
leading to meaning extension. This cognitive process that relates to literal meanings
and extended meanings is called mapping. A mapping is the systematic set of
correspondences that exist between constituent elements of the source and the target
domain. In other words, a conceptual metaphor is created by mapping a concept from
source domain onto a concept from target domain. Certain aspects of the source and
those of the target are brought into correspondence with each other in such a way that
constituent elements of the source correspond to constituent elements of the target
(Kovecses, 1987: 93).
1.2.5.2. Metaphorical entailment
According to Kovecses (1987: 94), “when rich additional knowledge about a source is
mapped onto a target, we call it metaphorical entailment”. For example, metaphor an
argument is the journey has the constituent element that the journey takes place along
a path. The path corresponds to the progress of an argument. However, in the source
domain „journey‟, we can get lost; can „stray from the path‟. This manifests itself in
the metaphorical entailment that we can also „digress from‟ the line of argument. In
this case, we use an additional piece of knowledge about journey to make sense of a
feature of argument.

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CHAPTER 2
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the research methods, research procedures, data collection and
data analysis that were decided to be most suitable for addressing the research
questions.
2.1. Research Questions
In order to achieve the aims of the study, the following research questions are to be
answered:
1. How are concepts for anger metaphorically expressed in English and Vietnamese
newspapers?
2. What are the similarities and differences in expressions of conceptual metaphors
denoting anger in English and Vietnamese newspapers?
2.2. Research Methods
This research utilizes contrastive analysis on level of lexical and phrase units.
Contrastive Analysis (C.A) is defined to be “a linguistic enterprise aimed at producing
inverted (i.e. contrastive, not comparative) two-valued typologies (a C.A. is always
concerned with a pair of languages), and founded on the assumption that languages
can be compared” (James, 1980: 2). Because the aim of this research is to find out the
similarities and the differences of conceptual metaphor denoting “anger” in English
and Vietnamese, contrastive analysis should be used. Conceptual metaphors denoting
anger in English will be mentioned and analyzed first and then they will be contrasted
with Vietnamese conceptual metaphors.
2.3. Research procedures
Step 1: Determine the research topic
Step 2: Determine and define the research questions
Step 3: Present the theoretical background and literature review for the study
Step 4: Collect the data
Step 5: Analyze the data
Step 6: Suggest some implications for language learner, teachers as well as translators

and give some conclusions.

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2.4. Data collection and data analysis
2.4.1. Data collection
To conduct this research, 77 metaphorical expressions of anger are collected from the
dailystar.co.uk and cand.com.vn (2012-2013). The model and the instrument of the
analysis and comparison of the two sets of data collected in the two languages was
adopted from Lakoff and Johnson (1980) in their book of Metaphor We Live By.
2.4.2. Data analysis
2.4.2.1. Data analytical framework
 Method of the research: The study will be carried out through contrastive analysis
which tries to describe and analyze the similarities and differences in expressions of
conceptual metaphors denoting anger in English and Vietnamese newspapers from
2012 to 2013 from cognitive semantics perspectives.
 Model of the research: The categorization of the data is carried out on the basis of
Lakoff and Johnson‟s (1980) Conceptual Metaphor Theory. In this model, conceptual
metaphors are classified into three different kinds, namely structural metaphors,
ontological metaphor and orientational metaphors.
 Method of data analysis: data will be both qualitatively and quantitatively
analyzed.
Firstly, the data is qualitatively analyzed as follows:
 The representations of the metaphor in English and Vietnamese
 The explanation of the anger metaphorically understood and talked about in such
ways
 Making use of experiences of source domains in the cognitive process of creating

meaning extensions
 Considering cultural elements of the two nations that affect the speakers‟
cognition of the abstract notion „anger‟ and result in different representations
of the metaphor
Secondly, the data is quantitatively analyzed in terms of the occurrence frequency of
every kinds of metaphor to show which kinds of metaphor are used more universally
or less frequently.

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2.4.2.2. Data analytical units
According to conceptual metaphor theory, Lakoff & Johnson (1980: 49-50) and
Kovecses (1987) suggest many different domains of experience which can
conceptualize anger; however, in my data collected, 14 sets of conceptual metaphor
will be presented basing on the combination of words such as verb phrases, noun
phrases, prepositional phrases and adjective phrases related to anger.
 Structural metaphors:
- Anger is fire

-

Anger is a dangerous animal

- Anger is a hot fluid in a container

-

Anger is a container

- Anger is insanity

-

Anger is an object

- Anger is a burden

-

Anger is an opponent (in a struggle)

- Anger is a natural force
 Ontological metaphors:
- The eyes are a container for anger

-

The voice is a container for anger

- Internal organs are containers for

-

The mind is a container for anger

anger
 Orientational metaphor:

- Anger is up, cooling anger is down

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CHAPTER 3
DATA ANALYSIS
3.1. Structural metaphors
In my data, with regard to structural metaphors, there can be found a great deal of
source domains expressing the target domain ANGER including fire, a hot fluid in a
container, madness or insanity, a burden, a natural force, a dangerous animal, a
container, an object, and an opponent.
3.1.1. Anger is fire
When we mention Anger is fire, we mean the activities referring to fire such as
spark, add, flare up, fire up:
CRIMEWATCH host Nick Ross sparked outrage yesterday by saying: “I‟d
watch child porn.” [22]
The row came on the day it emerged the pair had an angry flare-up after the
striker was caught SMOKING in the dressing room area. [5]
Van Persie reportedly added fuel to the fire when he was quoted in Spain as
saying: “I‟m grateful to hear about the interest of a club as important as Real
Madrid. [17]
Anger will fire up Kell Brook [9]
Literally, what we need to do for cooking is sparking fire. After sparking fire, it will
start to burn and reach higher intensity only if the fuel is added and might cause
physical damage to others.
By ways of thinking, it can be inferred that if making bad situations even worse
“adding fuel to the fire”, anger, after being sparked, will start “flaring up” and

then reach a higher intensity. As a result, it cause damage called “fire up” to others.
Obviously, the person adding fuel to the fire is seen the subject of the action.
However, there are some situations in which the subject is affected by others
becomes angry:

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Ben Westwood will be furious if he gets hauled over the coals for a tackle on
a "soft" opponent. [27]
In Vietnamese, we can also find metaphorical expressions that represent Anger is
fire:
Những cơng kích của một số người làm báo dành cho Hội đồng duyệt…đã đổ
thêm dầu vào lửa cho cuộc đối đầu kể trên [50]
(Journalists‟ disparagement over examining boards added fuel to the fire…)
Lửa ghen, giận trong lòng Mỹ cứ nhen nhúm rồi thổi bùng lên [55]
(The anger inside Ms.My kept smoldering and then burning up)
Cơn giận dữ, ghen tuông trong chị bốc lên, hố thành ngọn lửa thiêu sống tình
địch [29]
(The rising of her anger and jealousy is changed into fire consuming her love
rival)
By making bad situation even worse through “adding fuel to the fire” (đổ thêm
dầu vào lửa), people can be angry at a low intensity named “smoldering” (nhen
nhúm) for a long time, and then suddenly become extremely angry known as
“burning up” (bùng lên) which makes other people be “consumed” (thiêu sống).
It seems that both English and Vietnamese metaphorical expressions highlight
“fire” as a cause of anger like add fuel to the fire (đổ thêm dầu vào lửa), the
intensity and duration of anger called flare up (lóe lên), smolder (nhen nhúm), and

the damage to others named fire up or consume (thiêu sống). Fire can express the
power of anger; therefore, it is easy to explain the similarities in conceptualizing
anger as fire in both languages.
Data collected show that the rate of occurrence of anger is fire metaphor is 14.28%
in English and 14.7% in Vietnamese.
3.1.2. Anger is a hot fluid in a container
This conceptual metaphor is given from spatial cognitive of the internal relationship
between FLUID and CONTAINER. It is common knowledge that when hot fluids
start to boil may cause upward movement of hot fluids inside a container. The rising

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of hot fluids creates pressure on the container and drives the fluid steam. When the
pressure of steam becomes too high in the body container, it potentially causes the
container to explode. When the container explodes, what was inside the container
comes out. Accordingly, the fluid gradually falls and becomes cool if there is no
heat in the container anymore. By that imagination, there occurs some metaphorical
expressions expressing different levels of the hot fluid in a container by some verbs
such as boil, seethe, steam, curb, explode, vent, fume, channel, subside and cool.
This common knowledge produces the following metaphorical entailments:
 The rising intensity of anger leading to the rising fluid
Tempers just reached boiling point and it looked like it was going to kick
off. [3]
Impossible star is “seething with anger” [143]
 Intense anger producing steam on the container
Victoria Beckham: 50 Shades of Grey got steamed me up. [16]
 Intense anger producing pressure on the container

“I‟ve just got so much anger and frustration inside me. [10]
 Keeping the anger back and controlling it
I've got to keep all that tension inside me and control it. [7]
MARK NOBLE reckons Ravel Morrison will be less of a player if West
Ham try to curb his temper. [18]
 Intense anger causing people to explode
The mouthy babe exploded with rage yesterday after hearing the porn star
slag her off. [4]
 Anger inside coming out in case of explosion
'ANGRY' Wayne Rooney is fuming at new Manchester United boss David
Moyes. [15]
Spurs vent their anger over the deal to sell Gareth Bale [20]
Stories will include how he channeled his anger through boxing. [11]

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 The decrease in the intensity of anger
Rodgers‟ temper only subsided at The Emirates in midweek where the
rollicking transformed his slackers into a formidable force again in a 2-2 draw
with Arsenal. [24]
 The lack of anger
And he has been told by City boss Roberto Mancini, 47, and other football
chiefs that he needs to cool his temperament. [19]
Such entailments mentioned above can be also found in Vietnamese metaphorical
expressions:
 The rising intensity of anger leading to the rising fluid
Cơn tức tối sôi lên, chúng tiếp tục xông vào người lão [53]

(When the anger reached its boiling point, they continue rushing toward him)
Lúc nhìn thấy cảnh tượng ấy, máu nóng trong người Trọng bốc lên. [48]
(Witness that sight made Trong‟s blood reached its boiling point)
The intense heat causes a rise in volume of a fluid in a container corresponding to
the increase in the intensity of anger where the entire container “the body” (trong
người) rather than the hot fluid in it moving upward. When the body temperature
goes higher, blood can reach the upper body part called neck (cổ):
Trọng lại nghĩ đến người cha tội nghiệp, nghĩ đến cảnh mẹ Trọng thiếu tôn
trọng bố, nỗi uất nghẹn lên tận cổ [48]
(Again, Trong thinks about how disrespectful his mother treats his pity father
and his anger reached its boiling point)
 Intense anger producing pressure on the container
Bao nhiêu tức giận dồn nén bấy lâu ùa về, Thảo khó chịu trong người nhìn
đứa con trai mà nước mắt trôi dài. [44]
(So much anger inside her for a long time made Thao feel uncomfortable, her
tears kept falling when she looked at her son)
Nỗi uất hận không được giải tỏa lâu ngày ấp ủ trở thành sự thù hận trong
lòng. [48]

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