Metaphors underpinning the Gevey language
Every language is based on a set of metaphors - ideas, concepts and stories which while not being accurate or true can be used to represent a wide range of beliefs, emotions and common statements. Naturally these cognitive metaphors will vary from culture to culture, and thus from language to language.
The list of cognative metaphors is extensive, dynamic and constantly developing. The following list merely scratches the surface of the language. Note that the difference between cognitive metaphors and cultural metaphors is that a cognitive metaphor is deeply embedded in the culture, develops slowly, and can be used in a wide range of situations, whereas cultural metaphors are constantly evolving and developing, tend to react to fashions in language usage, and are limited in their application.
Cognitive metaphors include:
- up is better, down is worse - this is a fundamental metaphor.
- life is a river (in Ramajal, life tends to be a journey)
- instinct is centred in the liver, and is often reflexive in nature - the liver is coloquially seen as a second brain, an alternative (often competing) centre of control within the body.
- emotion is centred in the stomach - an increasing emotional intensity will rise towards the head, and can then overflow (lust, greed) or explode (anger, hate)
- intellect is centred in the head, and the head is the boss - except when it is overwhelmed by an intensifying emotion
- strangers are dangerous - this metaphor is reflexive (ie controlled by the liver), but it is well known that strangers introduce diseases, and diseases can wipe out entire communities within a few weeks.
- trade is necessary, good, healthy, improving, etc - this is the opposite to the "strangers are dangerous" metaphor, and is considered intellectual (and thus ruled by the head)
- language is magical, words have power - the power of words lies in the way they are used rather than in their intrinsic sound: a clever, articulate speaker will be able to wield the magic in the language far more effectively than others
- body part names can be used metonymically to represent the actions that body part undertakes