In connection to Taiwanese language, language like Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese Southern Min, and Japanese are closely related. This study shows that the in contemporary Taiwan, Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese Southern Min are the main languages, Because of, the intreoduction of “Japanese” as the “State Language by the Japanese colonial government during its fifty-years rule over Taiwan,” the vocabulary of today's Taiwanese language in Mandarin Chinese and, Taiwanese Southern Min originated in Japanese. The thesis, thus takes all three languages to present a comparative study.
Taking the most commonly used “Body-related Vocabulary” in Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese Southern Min, and Japanese as the object of inquiry. Departing from “Cognitive linguistics” theory, this thesis analyzes the cognitive metaphor expressions in body vocabulary. Using statistical methods, it is expected that the semantic characteristics, cognitive metaphor types, language structure and the language and cultural characteristics implied by all three languages under inquiry can be identified.
Taking the Mandarin Chinese -based, Taiwanese Southern Min, and Japanese-assisted, dictionary-included vocabulary as research material, a large number of collection of three languages in the body-related vocabulary words, further analysis of their performance in cognitive metaphor, the chapters explore the words include: (1) “head”-related vocabulary: “頭”, “首” ;(2) “the five sense organs”-related vocabulary: “眼”, “目”, “耳”, “鼻”, “眉” ;(3) “mouth”-related vocabulary: “口”, “嘴”, “舌”, “牙”, “齒” ;(4) “arms and legs” -related vocabulary: “手”, “掌”, “腳”, “足” ;(5) “internal organs” and other body-related vocabulary: “心”, “肝”, “髮” and so on, which contain two-word three-word and four-word grid, while Japanese contains idioms. Since Japanese is not an islolating language like the Taiwanese language. Japanese, however, can be expressed in “Chinese characters”, interspersed with Hiragana and Katakana.
In the chapter on “Semantics”, this thesis focuses on the discussion of “Metaphor” and “Metonymy” in “cognitive semantics”. The application of body words in language metaphor can be viewed as ubiquitous. Body-related words usually perform metaphorical function. In today's technologically developed society, inter-language exchange, network vocabulary is also constantly innovating, so that the metaphorical expression between the body is more widely used.
The concepts “Metaphor” and “Metonymy” are two types of cognitive thinking, through the analysis of body words can let us better understand the meaning of thinking in body-related words, why the same concept, in different countries and languages will be different body parts to express the same concept. This study not only reveals the importance of body-related vocabulary to the cognitive world of human body, but also further highlights its cultural value behind the thinking of language metaphor, from which it explores the cultural treasures hidden in language, and finally hopes that the distinctive Taiwanese language and culture can be inherited forever.