英语论文网

Chapter One Introduction

1.1 Research Background
The rise of cognitive linguistics has extremely prompted the development oflinguistic studies; many theories proposed by cognitive linguistics can shed light onthe study of those questions left behind for a long time. Conceptual MetonymyTheory, one of the most potential theories, has solved numerous linguistic puzzles.Different from traditional views on metonymy, this theory holds that metonymy is aconceptual phenomenon and a cognitive process. English Euphemism has beenstudied at home and abroad. However, the study of English euphemisms has beenlittle touched from the perspective of Conceptual Metonymy Theory. Euphemismsare mainly studied from the perspectives of rhetoric, Conceptual Metaphor Theoryand Prototype Theory. The expression of euphemism is economical and indirect incommunicating more embarrassing information. For language speakers, theexpression of euphemism can reduce the negative effect and thus diminish thenegative interpersonal load.So far, the studies on euphemism have captured the attention of domestic andforeign linguists, scientists and even writers. Over the past decades, many cognitivelinguists have proposed their distinctive views. Some linguists give a fullexplanation on the phenomenon of euphemism from the perspective of conceptualmetonymy. All these researches are concentrated on the pragmatic and social culturalaspects of euphemism, but ignore the internal connection between cognitivemechanism and euphemistic effect. Thus, the pragmatics and social linguistics havenot thoroughly interpreted the effect and motivation of euphemisms. With thedevelopment of cognitive linguistics, euphemism has become one of its hot researchsubjects. Cognitive linguistics focuses mainly on the internal mechanism ofeuphemism in human mind from the perspective of both addresser and addressee.Under the structure of cognitive linguistics, euphemism can be interpreted andanalyzed logically and reasonably.
……………

1.2 Research Objectives
This empirical study is devised to be carried out to investigate effectiveness ofeuphemism under the guidance of cognitive theory.The linguistic theory used in this thesis is mainly the Idealized Cognitive Model(ICM) Theory, whose core is contiguity. Metonymy cognitive models reflects thecorrelation of the two elements in the same cognitive fields on the basis of thecontiguity rule, while the metonymy refers to two different cognitive fieldsconcerning the mapping from the source domain to the target domain on the basis offrame theory. Euphemism process is realized through these cognitive models ofhuman beings.The notion of “contiguity” is at the core of most definitions of metonymy.Traditional approaches locate contiguity relationships in the world of reality,whereas cognitive approach locates them on the conceptual level. Lakoff accountsfor metonymic contiguity within the framework of idealized cognitive models, Croftdeals with contiguity relations in terms of encyclopedic knowledge representingwithin a domain or domain matrix. Blank and Panther and Thornburg describe thenetwork of conceptual contiguity using the notion of frame and scenario. ICM cancapture metonymic processes of euphemism best. This is the reason why we putICM and metonymy in the center of euphemism study. This thesis proposes thateuphemisms are better described in terms of propositional ICMs, which wouldinclude Co本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。