Stylistics Studies of the Holy Quran

Stylistics Studies of the Holy Quran

The Conceptual Metaphor of "Weight" in the Noble Qur'an: A Cognitive Linguistics Approach

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Assistant Professor of the Department of Islamic Studies of Sisters Campus of Imam Sadeq University Tehran-Iran
1022034/sshq.2024.426161.1399
Abstract
The Noble Qur'an, in its effort to clarify concepts and create mental imagery for maximum influence on human thought and behavior, pays close attention to human cognitive processes, including metaphorical thinking. To explain abstract or non-experienced phenomena, the Qur'an frequently uses concrete and perceptible conceptual metaphors, manifesting them through linguistic expressions. This study aims to explore the conceptual metaphor of "weight" and its related vocabulary as one of the sensory source domains and to identify its corresponding target conceptual domains and mappings in the Qur'an. The research employs a descriptive-analytical method, utilizing both deductive and inductive reasoning. According to the study’s findings, the lexical roots of the Arabic terms “thaqal”, "khiffa", "wazn", and "wizr" are linguistic manifestations of the conceptual metaphor of "weight" in the Qur'an. These terms clarify and elucidate conceptual domains such as action, punishment, human inclinations, thought, speech, responsibility, and events, all of which are metaphorically described as having weight. Among the source domains, the term “thaqal” is the most frequent, while "khiffa" appears the least. As for the target conceptual domains, the most frequent is the domain of "action", where sub-concepts include any action that carries weight, whether good or bad. Thus, righteous deeds are described as heavy, while unrighteous deeds are described as light, with accountable beings gaining metaphorical weight based on their good or bad deeds. The least frequent target conceptual domains are related to the domain of "speech".
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Volume 8, Issue 2 - Serial Number 15
Eighth year, number one, fifteenth in a row, autumn and winter 2024
October 2024
Pages 136-159

  • Receive Date 20 November 2023
  • Revise Date 02 January 2024
  • Accept Date 14 January 2024
  • Publish Date 22 October 2024