An investigation into conceptual metaphors expressing ‘love’, ‘like’, and ‘hate’ in english and vietnamese

Abstract

The thesis is a qualitative and quantitative study that focuses on investigating the conceptual metaphors expressing three abstract concepts love, like and hate in English and Vietnamese on the background knowledge of cognitive semantics raised by Lakoff and Johnson in their book Metaphors We Live By (1980). Among four types of conceptual metaphors, the research paper just concentrates on the structural metaphors expressing romantic love, like and hate such as LOVE AS A JOURNEY, LIKING AS FIRE, HATE AS POWER in English and Vietnamese based on the descriptive approach. Then, the similarities and differences between the conceptual metaphors expressing these three abstracts in English and in Vietnamese are also analyzed and displayed through the comparative analysis of about one thoundsand samples collected from poems, songs, and other writings. The paper is also carried out with a hope to be a useful material for learning and teaching English and Vietnamese as well as translating from English to Vietnamese discourses and otherwise.