Color Metaphor - What Color Represents in a Particular Culture - Essay Example

COLOUR METAPHORS Colour is essence of our lives .We exists in a multi-coloured world and use colourful language. Colours are significant because before anything else we respond to colours. Colours influence our way of thinking, alter our ways of dealing and becomes the foundation of our reactions. Colours, when used in languages, have cultural context, are culture specific and associated with meanings and some times more than literal meanings like Metaphors. For example, this assignment came up out of blue and made me feel blue. The use of such phrases requires a special cultural and linguistic setting. On the other hand, the colour words themselves have traditional linguistic expression which is symbolic to what colour represent in a particular culture. Some times colour words take connotation and other times they are fixed linguistically. Simply, the way I understand it is when two unlike things are compared, like common concepts help to explain the less known concepts. I am writing concepts because I agree with Lakoff's (1977) theory where he suggests that Metaphors are "fundamentally conceptual, not linguistic, in nature" (Lakoff, in Ortony, 1993, p.244). He further divided the metaphors in categories, conceptual metaphor and image metaphor only because they acquire different mapping processes. He states that conceptual metaphors "map one conceptual domain onto another" (ibid, p.229). The comprehension of metaphoric usage in the language obviously "affects our understanding of our conception of concepts." (Knowles and Moon) Semino and Culpeper further explain this point by saying that "It is a consistent mapping from source domain onto target domain" Metaphors will require "a set of systematic correspondences between the source and the target," says Zoltn (2002,p 6). Zoltn (2002) contribution to the theory of conceptual metaphors cannot be ignored. He defines it as "understanding one conceptual domain in terms of another conceptual domain." Zoltn (2002, p .4). Conceptual metaphors have two particular domains; one is named as source domain, "the conceptual domain from which we draw metaphorical expressions to understand another conceptual domain." Another is target domain which "we try to understand through the use of the source domain." Zoltn (2002, p. 4). Explaining it further Zoltn (2002) says that, "Conceptual metaphors typically employ a more abstract concept as target, and a more concrete or physical concept as their source." Metaphors do not work in isolation rather "people need a combination of a mutual cognitive environment to understand each other successfully." say Sperber and Wilson (1986). Focusing further they insisted that language is a "community's store of established knowledge," and one can only make use of it if possesses relative knowledge by experience. Best explained by Lakoff and Johnson (1980) say, "You don't have a choice whether to think metaphorically. Because metaphorical maps are part of our brains, we think and speak metaphorically whether we want to or not. () Further since our brains are embodied, our metaphors will reflect our commonplace experiences in the world." Firstly, all colours have ideal comprehension but it is not necessary that they portray only one meaning. Black and White are the basic colours, and red, blue, green and yellow are known as primary colours. Secondly, we are individually and culturally fashioned to use metaphors, which have some connection with neurology. Different cultures have different ways of associating with certain colour and that effect shows in their colour words. Let's see how; Black The colour black is associated with death and mourning in Western cultures. Basically its connection with darkness is literal and at the same time metaphorical. Mystery, evil and fear are attached to it because all kinds of strange activities take place in the night, which is dark. Few metaphors used are the pot calling the kettle black, accusing someone without looking at your own deeds. Black day, black look, black mood, black humours are other metaphors which are obviously telling us that there is nothing positive. A "black hearted" person is considered evil. There is absence of light and that prepares us to understand it this way. But everything about this colour is not bad; terms like black tie and black coat are neutral as well. "If a business is "in the black," it is making money." is another example. Red In western countries, red is the colour of excitement and strength. Valentine Day's colour is also red because I think roses are red. The colour red has a universal association with blood. To "see red" is to be angry. "Both English and Italian use red to refer to anger, embarrassment, shame, as well as physical exertion, though it is interesting to note that they do so in different ways." says Philip ()In China, red is the colour of good luck and is used as a holiday and wedding colour. Chinese babies are given their names at a red-egg ceremony says Birren (1988). In China it is also considered as a symbol of celebration and luck, used in many cultural ceremonies that range from funerals to weddings. Similar concept of this metaphor can be seen in West, to "paint the town red" is to celebrate. Green Green is the universal colour of nature and symbolizes growth and life. Chinese studies indicate this is not a good colour choice for packaging, green hats mean a man's wife is cheating on him. .buzzle.com In Western countries, Green means "go." When "all systems are green," it means everything is in order. But this colour is also connected with envy, for example green with envy" means full of envy or jealousy and the "green-eyed monster" is a person who is jealous. Blue Blue is often considered to be the safest global colour. In west, "a blue blood" is a person of noble descent and "blue laws" are used to enforce moral standards. "If one is a "true blue," then considered loyal and faithful." says Birren. Now coming down to different cultural notion affiliated to this colour is that in China, "blue is for little girls" and in west, it is considered for little boys. It is also associated with immortality in China. Yellow Yellow is a symbol of jealousy and deceit. It also stirs up only some negative responses of dishonesty, cowardice, egoism, betrayal and caution. If someone is said to have a "yellow streak," that person is considered a coward. "In Egypt and Burma, yellow connotes mourning" says Birren. In Asia, it is considered sacred. White A white flag is the universal symbol for peace says Birren. It is considered a colour of youth and marriage in west and on the other hand of death in eastern cultures. White signifies mourning in China and Japan. The metaphors related to this colour are; White heat is a condition of strong enthusiasm, rage, devotion. A white list contains favoured items (conflicting to a blacklist). White sepulcher is a person who is evil inside but appears good on the outside, a hypocrite. (Birren) So while concluding my essay I have come to the result that it is not necessary that the origin of a metaphor match to its actual meaning. Although all the colours are linked to some concepts but they distinguish in linguistic preferences and also have universal notions attached to them, which vary. BIBLIOGRAPHY Birren. F. (1988).The Symbolism of Colour. Edition: illustrated. Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation. Knowles. M & Moon. R. (2006). Introducing Metaphor. Published by Routledge. Lakoff, G. & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors We Live By. (Chicago, University of Chicago Press). Lakoff, G. (1977). The contemporary theory of metaphor, Metaphor and Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Sperber, D. and Wilson, D. (1986) Relevance: Communication and Cognition. (Oxford, Basil Blackwell). Trim. R. (2007). Metaphor Networks: The Comparative Evolution of Figurative Language. Edition: illustrated. Published by Palgrave Macmillan. Zoltn. K (2002). Metaphor: A Practical Introduction. Oxford: OUP Read More