Metaphoric and Metonymic Patterns with the Body-Part Term Nwun “Eye(s)” in Korean

Chapter 19 investigates the conceptual mappings of conventional figurative expressions, specifically idioms and collocations containing the body-part term nwun “eye(s)” in Korean. Working within the framework of conceptual metaphor theory (Lakoff and Johnson 1980), the study explores the types of conceptual shift that give rise to extended meanings and discusses how extension mechanisms draw on shared features between source and target domains. Common Korean expressions involving the eyes involve vision, persons, time, events/processes, perception (e.g., attention, attraction, interest, judgment), mind activities (e.g., thinking, knowing, understanding), and emotions (e.g., anger, avarice, surprise). These figurative expressions are motivated by the basic experiences of eye behavior, eye appearance, and vision, as well as by our interactions with people and environments. The findings of this study contribute to our understanding of the influence of embodiment in language in general and in Korean in particular.