Conceptual Metaphors of Jealousy in Nizami’s "Khosrow and Shirin" from a Cognitive Perspective
Subject Areas : Persian language studiesMaryam Alimohammadi 1 , leila hashemian 2
1 - M.A in Persian Language and Literature, Bu-Ali Sina University, Iran.
2 - Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Bu-Ali Sina University, Iran.
Keywords: jealousy, conceptual metaphor, Orientational metaphor, Ontological metaphor, Structural metaphor.,
Abstract :
Conceptual Metaphors of Jealousy in Nizami’s
"Khosrow and Shirin" from a Cognitive Perspective
Maryam Ali Mohammadi*
Leila Hashemian**
Nezami, a poet of the sixth century, is one of the popular Masnavi poets of Iran who has left very glorious and lasting works called "Khamseh". His style is Iraqi, and his language is very lofty and original. The narration of his poetry is the creation of similes, pleasant metaphors, new and practical themes, and the description of landscapes and people. In this research, using a descriptive-analytical method, the conceptual metaphor of jealousy has been classified and analyzed in the Khosrow and Shirin poetry volume. In this regard, we have identified the concrete conceptual space of each metaphor, a process that has been used to conceptualize abstract conceptual spaces. The metaphors have been created very beautifully and rich conceptual metaphors using beautiful concrete conceptual spaces to understand abstract conceptual ones, since it is very difficult to understand abstract concepts alone. As Nezami was merely a narrator, his personal view of the conceptual metaphor of jealousy cannot be understood well, but it can be asserted that the concrete conceptual space of analogy is one of the most widely used conceptual spaces for the creation of his metaphors.
Keywords: jealousy, conceptual metaphor, Orientational metaphor, Ontological metaphor, Structural metaphor.
Introduction
This study examines the conceptual metaphors of jealousy in Nizami Ganjavi’s "Khosrow and Shirin," a renowned Persian romantic epic from the 12th century. Jealousy, as a complex and often destructive emotion, plays a pivotal role in the narrative, driving key plot developments. The research adopts a cognitive linguistic approach to analyze how Nizami conceptualizes jealousy through metaphorical mappings, drawing on Lakoff and Johnson’s theory of conceptual metaphor. The study aims to uncover the source domains used to structure the abstract concept of jealousy, shedding light on Nizami’s artistic and cognitive strategies.
Literature Review
Previous research on jealousy in Persian literature has been limited, with few studies focusing on its metaphorical representations. Existing works have explored conceptual metaphors in other emotional domains, such as love and anger, but jealousy remains understudied. Studies on Nizami’s works, like those by Obeidi and Roumiani (2019), have examined love metaphors, while others have analyzed directional metaphors in Ferdowsi’s "Shahnameh" (Khatami-Nia & Hassan-Zadeh, 2019). This study fills a gap by specifically addressing jealousy in "Khosrow and Shirin," offering a fresh perspective on Nizami’s metaphorical language.
Theoretical Framework
The study is grounded in Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) conceptual metaphor theory, which posits that abstract concepts are understood through concrete, experiential domains. Metaphors are categorized into three types:
- Structural Metaphors: Framing one concept in terms of another (e.g., "Jealousy is a disease").
- Ontological Metaphors: Treating abstract concepts as entities or substances (e.g., "Jealousy is a fire").
- Orientational Metaphors: Organizing concepts spatially (e.g., "Jealousy is a downward force").
- The analysis identifies the source domains Nizami employs to conceptualize jealousy, highlighting their cultural and cognitive underpinnings.
Results and Discussion
The analysis reveals that Nizami predominantly uses ontological
metaphors (e.g., jealousy as a destructive force or a consuming fire) to depict jealousy, followed by structural and orientational metaphors. Key findings include:
- Ontological Metaphors: Jealousy is often portrayed as a physical entity (e.g., a weapon or a monster), emphasizing its tangible impact on characters.
- Structural Metaphors: Jealousy is framed as a battle or a trap, reflecting its role in conflicts and power struggles.
- Orientational Metaphors: Less frequent, these metaphors spatialize jealousy (e.g., "falling into jealousy").
The study also notes that most source domains are abstract, suggesting Nizami’s reliance on shared cultural and experiential knowledge to convey the complexities of jealousy. For instance, jealousy is linked to emotions like anger, resentment, and helplessness, which are universally understood.
Conclusion
Nizami’s "Khosrow and Shirin" employs a rich array of conceptual metaphors to depict jealousy, with ontological metaphors being the most prevalent. This reflects the human tendency to understand abstract emotions through bodily and physical experiences. The study underscores Nizami’s mastery in using metaphorical language to deepen the narrative’s emotional and psychological dimensions. While the metaphors align with traditional Persian literary conventions, their cognitive foundations remain relevant to contemporary readers. Future research could explore cross-cultural comparisons of jealousy metaphors or extend this framework to other emotions in Persian literature.
References
Lakoff, G. & Johnson, M. (1980) Metaphors We Live by. Chicago and London: The
University of Chicago Press.
Lakoff, G. (1990) The Contemporary Theory of Metaphor. In A. Ortony (Ed.), Metaphor and Thought (pp. 202-251). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Lakoff.
Heine, B., Claudi, U., & Hünnemeyer, F. (1994) Grammaticalization: A Conceptual Framework. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 46.
* Corresponding Author: M.A in Persian Language and Literature, Bu-Ali Sina University, Iran.
maryam73am@gmail.com
** Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Bu-Ali Sina University, Iran.
dr_hashemian@yahoo.com