Title: “Mind-Monkey” Metaphors in Chinese and Japanese Dictionaries
Abstract:This paper compares dictionary treatments of the Chinese xinyuan-yima "mind-monkey idea-horse" and the reverse Japanese iba-shin'en metaphors meaning 'mental inconstancy and turmoil'.1 The first secti...This paper compares dictionary treatments of the Chinese xinyuan-yima "mind-monkey idea-horse" and the reverse Japanese iba-shin'en metaphors meaning 'mental inconstancy and turmoil'.1 The first section discusses animal metaphors such as English monkey/horse around, and introduces the words Chinese yuan or Japanese en 'gibbon; monkey', ma or ba 'horse', xin or shin 'heart; mind', and yi or i ' idea; will'. The second outlines Chinese and Japanese literary developments of xinyuan or shin'en "mind-monkey," yima or iba "idea-horse," and their synonyms (e. g., qingyuan "emotion-monkey"). Section three compares definitions of Chinese xinyuan-yima or inverted yima-xinyuan and Japanese shin'en-iba or iba-shin'en in monolingual dictionaries. The fourth contrasts translation equivalents of these reversible "mind-monkey" and "idea-horse" expressions from bilingual ones. The conclusion uses this inherently apt "mind-monkey" trope to illustrate certain aspects of Oriental lexicography. [Tables 1-7: pp. 175-180 Ed.)Read More
Publication Year: 1993
Publication Date: 1993-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 1
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