Slavic Cognitive Linguistics Conference 2015 14th annual conference of the Slavic Cognitive Linguistics Association "Crossing boundaries: taking a cognitive scientific perspective on Slavic languages and linguistics" Universities of Sheffield and Oxford, UK, 9 - 13 December 2015

1. MAGDALENA ZAWISŁAWSKA
UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW

2. I understand synesthetic metaphors
according to Wering et al. (2006): a
metaphor is synesthetic only when its
source domain pertains to perception
(visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, or
gustatory). If the target domain does not
evoke perception, we can talk of a weak
synaesthetic metaphor. If both the source
and the target domain evoke perception,
we deal with a strong synaesthetic
metaphor (Werning, Fleischhauer,
Beşeoğlu 2006).
SYNAMET
Microcorpus of
Synaesthetic
Metaphors. Towards
a Formal Description
and Efficient
Methods of Analysis
of Metaphors in
Discourse.
UMO/2014/15/B/HS2/00182,
financed by the Polish National
Science Centre.

3. Recent works on metaphor have employed
the Fillmorean frame semantics framework
in order to account better for metaphor's
both cognitive and linguistic properties
(Dancygier, Sweetser 2014; Ziem 2014,
Dodge et al. 2015; Sullivan 2015).

4. 1. Frame semantics offers a holistic approache to
linguistic anylisys (unlike the structural semantics).
2. Frame – as the system of concepts – contains not
only linguistic knowledge, but any kind of
knowledge that is relevant to understand discourse.
3. Frame is coherent, conceptual gestalts organized in
a hierarchical structure that contains slots and
values (Dodge et al. 2015).

5. Adjetives of tactile perception:
GORĄCY (HOT)
ZIMNY (COLD)
GŁADKI (SMOOTH)
SZORSTKI (ROUGH, COARSE)

6. 38%
48%
10%
4%
Number of appearance in NCP (the balanaced subcorpus)
gorący (hot)
zimny (cold)
gładki (smooth)
szorstki (rough)

7.  National Corpus of Polish (NCP)
DICTIONARIES:
 Bańko, Mirosław (2000): Inny słownik języka polskiego
PWN. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN (ISJP).
 Bańko, Mirosław (2004): Słownik porównań. Wyd. 1.
Warszawa: Wydawn. Naukowe PWN (SP).
 Dubisz, Stanisław (2003): Uniwersalny słownik języka
polskiego. Wyd. 1. Warszawa: Wydawn. Naukowe PWN
(USJP).

8. GORĄCY : ZIMNY
HOT : COLD

9. ISJP: antonyms.
USJP: (gorący ‹hot› : lodowaty ‹ice-cold›; zimny
: ciepły ‹warm›.
They name the opposite and outermost sides of
the same attribute – the temperature of an
object.
HOT ZIMNY

10. TEMPERATURE
SOURCE OF
HEAT
OBJECT
NATURAL
ARTIFICIAL
ORGANISM
HUMAN
OTHER
MAMMALS
BIRDSPROPERTIES CHANGEABLE
INFLUENCE
ON MAN
POSITIVE
NEGATIVE

11. Body
temperature

12. Hot body means:
• illness: gorączka
«fever»;
• very strong
emotions, e.g.
anger, love,
excitement:
gorączkować się «to
be (all) keyed up»,
gorzeć miłością,
nienawiścią «to be
burning with love,
hate».
Cold body menas:
• illness: zimnica
«malaria»;
• fear: kogoś oblewa
zimny pot «to break
out in a cold sweat
from fright », zimno
się komuś zrobiło «one
shuddersout of fear»;
• death: zimny
«deceased, dead»,
zimny jak trup «cold as
as a corpse».

13. Object temperature

14.  SUN
 FIRE
 STOVE
Their typical
colors are : red,
orange and
yellow.
669
419
170
119 109 91
WODA (WATER) HERBATA (TEA) POWIETRZE (AIR) ZUPA (SOUP) KAWA (COFFEE) MLEKO (MILK)
Most typical noun collocations with the adjective
gorący in NCP
Number of collocations

15. • they worm us and heat the air, water, or a
room,
• they let us cook food.
• they can make air or room too hot and it is
unpleasant or even dangerous for us:
gorąc ‹heat›,
• they can burn us: Kto się na gorącym
sparzył, ten na zimne dmucha. (One once
burnt is blowing on cold ‹once bitten, twice
shy›.)

16. ICE
STONE
FISH
STEEL
ROCK
MARBLE
Their typical colors
are: white, blue,
grey.
857
117 92 57 54
WODA (WATER) POWIETRZE (AIR) PIWO (BEER) WIATR (WIND) NAPÓJ (DRINK)
Most typical noun collocations with the
adjective zimy in NCP
Number of collocations

17. • we can safely touch them: dmuchać na zimne (to blow at
cold ‹to play it safe›), zimne ognie ‹sparklers›;
• when it’s hot outside, or our body is hot, we use them to
refresh ourselves: zimny kompres ‹cold compress›.
• we don’t like touching them: zimny jak ryba ‹to be a cold
fish›;
• cold food is not tasty.
• we don’t like when it’s too cold outside: zimnica ‹very
cold, unpleasant weather›;
• we don’t like too cold water: zimny prysznic ‹a cold
shower›.
• too cold weather can be dangerous for us.

18. GORĄCY ZIMNY

19. STRONGSYNESTHETIC
METAPHORS VISUAL
PERCEPTION
GORĄCY (HOT)
gorące barwy,
kolory (hot colors
‹warm colors›)
ZIMNY (COLD)
zimne barwy,
kolory (cold colors
‹cool colors›)
AUDITORY
PERCEPTION
GORĄCY (HOT)
gorące rytmy hot
rhythms ‹Latino
rythms›
gorący doping
‹rousing cheers›
gorące oklaski
‹warm applause›
ZIMNY (COLD)
zimne dźwięki
(cold sounds)
‹higher tones›

21. HOT
HOT OBJECT
SHORT TIME SHORT
IMPACT
GOOD
BAD
HOT BODY
REASON
SYMPTOMS

22. SHORT TIME
WE HAVE TO
ACT FAST
• gorąca linia
‹hotline›
• gorący pieniądz
‹hot money›
WE HAVE TO DO
A LOT
• gorący
czas/okres/tydzień
‹busy time, period,
weak›
THE OBJECT IS
NEW, FRESH
(hot bread)
• gorący temat ‹hot
topic›
• gorąca wiadomość
‹breaking news›

23. IMPACT
GOOD
•gorące życzenia
‹warm wishes›
•gorące powitanie
‹warm welcome›
BAD
•gorący czas ‹hot
time›
•gorący punkt ‹hot
point/ torrid area,
war zone›

24. HOT BODY
REASON
• LOVE
• gorący wielbiciel ‹ardent admirer›
• gorący romans ‹burning romance›
• ANGER
• gorący spór ‹heated dispute›
• COMMITMENT
• gorący zwolennik ‹ardent
supporter›
SYMPTOMS
• PERSONALITY
• gorące serce ‹enthustiastic›
• gorąca krew ‹hot blood›
• MANNNER OF SEPAKING
• gorący apel ‹urgent appeal›
• gorąca modlitwa ‹fervent prayer›
• MANNER OF BEHAVIOR
• gorąca atmosfera ‹hostile
atmoshpere›

25. ZIMNY (COLD)

26. GORĄCY (HOT)
STRONG EMOTIONS
(anger, love, passion,
excitement)
POSITIVE EMOTIONS
(love, passion)
ZIMNY (COLD)
NO EMOTIONS
• reason
• zimna krew (cold blood)
• zimna kalkulacja (cold
calculation)
• ruthlessness
• zimny drań (ruthless bastard)
• zimne serce (cold heart)
NEGATIVE EMOTIONS (fear)
• kogoś oblewa zimny pot
‹one broke out in a cold
sweat›: one was terrified

27. ZIMNY (COLD)
• NOT DIRECT, NON
MILITARY CONFLICT
• zimna wojna ‹cold war›
GORĄCY (HOT)
• DIRECT,MILITARY
CONFLICT
• gorąca wojna ‹hot war›

28. GŁADKI : SZORSTKI
SMOOTH : ROUGH

29.  USJP: antonyms.
 ISJP: szorstki ‹rough, coarse› : gładki ‹smooth›; gładki
: szorstki/ chropawy/ chropowaty ‹rough, coarse›.
 The adjectives name the early (szorstki) and final
(gładki) state of the object: gładzik ‹calender, plane›;
wygładzić ‹to smooth sth away/out›.
SZORSTKI GŁADKI

30. TEXTURE
OBJECT
NATURAL
SURFACE
ARTEFACT
SURFACE
ORGANISM
HUMAN
SKIN
HAIR
ANIMAL
SKIN
COAT
SHELL
PLANT
BARK
LEAVES

31. GŁADKI
(SMOOTH)
•When we touch a
surface we don’t feel
any bumps.
•Our hand moves on
such surface FAST
and EASY.
•When we touch such
surface it feels NICE.
•We can PROCESS
some objects in order
to make them smooth.
SZORSTKI
(ROUGH)
• On a surface we feel
bumps, or
unevenness.
• Our hand moves on
such surface with
with DIFFICULTY.
• When we touch such
surface it doesn’t
feel nice and
sometimes it is
PAINFUL.

32.  TABLE
 ICE
 GLASS
 ALABASTER
 VELVET
 SATIN
 SILK
 BOTTOM OF
A BABY
38
30
28
24
16
WŁOSY (HAIR) CIAŁO (BODY) MASA (DOUGH) POLICZEK (CHEEK) SLAB
Most typical noun collocations with the adjective
gładki in NCP
Numbers of collocation

33. RICE
BRUSH
17
16
15 15
12
10
JĘZYK (TONGUE) DŁOŃ (PALM) SKÓRA (SKIN) POLICZEK (CHEEK) RĘKA (HAND) WEŁNA (WOOL)
Most frequent collocations with the adjective
szorstki in NCP
Numbers of collocations

34. GŁADKI (SMOOTH)
SZORSTKI (ROUGH)

35. VISUAL
PERCEPTION
• GŁADKI (SMOOTH)
• plain (a dress)
• no wrinkle (a face)
• no waves (a lake)
• no hills (a plain)
• no curves (a line)
• SZORSTKI (ROUGH)
• with small,
numerous twists (a
shoreline)
AUDITORY
PERCEPTION
• GŁADKI (SMOOTH)
• nice, pleasant
sounds
• SZORSTKI (ROUGH)
• a sound that is
unpleasant, shrill,
out of tune
COMPLEX
PERCEPTION
• GŁADKI (SMOOTH)
• no visible and
perceptible
irregularities (e.g.
asphalt, road)

36. GŁADKI (SMOOTH)
SZORSTKI (ROUGH)

37. GŁADKI(SMOOTH)
EASY to move
hand, NICE feeling
EASY, NICE
gładkie życie (easy
life)
gładkie zwycięstwo
(easy victory)
Efect of
PROCESSING
REFINED, ELEGANT
gładki wiersz (fluid
poem)
gładki styl (elegant
style)
NICE, BUT DEVOID
OF CONTENT
gładkie słowa
(smooth words)
gładki banał
(smooth banality)

38. SZORSTKI(ROUGH,
COARSE)
UNPLEASANT,
PAINFUL
when we touch it
szorstkie słowa
(gruff words)
szorstki człowiek
(a gruff man)
UNPROCESSED object
szorstki styl
(an unrafined style)

39. Frames and metaphor
GORĄCE SŁOWA VS GŁADKIE SŁOWA
HOT WORDS SMOOTH WORDS

40. IDEAS (OR MEANINGS) ARE OBJECTS
LINGUISTIC EXPRESSIONS ARE
CONTAINERS (Reddy 1979)
„SURFACE” OF A WORD: WHAT WE
SEE (READ) OR HEAR. IT CAN BE
CORRECTED.
MEANING
IDEA
IT CAN MAKE
PEOPLE TO DO
SOMETHING
SUFRACE OF A AN OBJECT:
ROUGH TEXTURE CAN BE
PROCESSED TO BECOME
SMOOTH
TEMPERATURE
OF THE OBJECT
CAN HEAT
OTHER
OBJECTS

41. Gorące słowa poetów, filozofów mobilizowały całe
zbiorowości do narodowych zrywów. (NCP)
[Passionate words of poets, philosophers encouraged
whole communities to mass uprising.]
Żaden rząd po 1989 r. nie wykazywał woli
politycznej, by rozwiązać problem repatriacji. Płyną
tylko gładkie słowa - stwierdza profesor Zygmunt
Kolenda. (NCP)
[No government after 1989 has demonstrated the political
will to solve the problem of repatriation. Only smooth
words are floating – states professor Zygmunt Kolenda.]

42. GORĄCE SŁOWA
(HOT WORDS)
CAN MAKE OTHER
PEOPLE TO FEEL
SOMETING
FULL OF
EMOTIONS,
ENTHUSIASM,
PASSION
GŁADKIE SŁOWA
(SMOOTH WORD)
NICE, ELEGANT ON THE
SURFACE, BUT DEVOIDED OF
ANY MEANING, IMPORTANT
IDEAS

44. 1.Metaphor productivity of the analyzed adjectives is
different and it is subordianted to its importance to
men, its frequency and complexity of source frame’s
structure.
2.Metaphoric transfer of adjectives of tactile perception
depends on the both frames’ structure and their
internal logic: corresponding slots are filled by the
adequate attributes. This is why we can say gorące/
gładkie słowa (hot/smooth words), but we can’t say
*gorący frazes, banał (hot platitude/ banality).
3.Frames contains not only literal knowledge about the
world, but also basic premetaphors (e.g. WORD ARE
CONTAINERS FOR IDEAS) (cf. Ritchie 2006).

45.  Diederich C. 2015. Sensory Adjectives in the Discourse of Food. A frame-semantic approach to
language and perception. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
 Dodge, E., Jisup, H., Stickles, E. 2015. MetaNet: Deep semantic auotmatic metaphor analysis.
Procedings of the Third Workshop on Metaphor in NLP. Eds. Ekaterina Shutova, Beata Beigman
Klebanov, and Patricia Lichtenstein. Denver, CA: Associaton for Computational Linguistics.
 Fillmore, C. J. 1982. Frame semantics. Linguistics in the Morning Calm, 111–137. Seoul,
South Korea: Hanshin Publishing Co.
 Reddy, M. J. 1979. The conduit metaphor. A case of frame conflict in our language about language.
Metaphor and thought, ed. by Andrew Ortony. Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press.
 Ritchie, L. David. 2006. Context and connection in metaphor. Palgrave Macmillan.
 Sullivan, K. 2014. Frames and Constructions in Metaphoric Language. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John
Benjamins Publishing Company.
 Werning M., Fleischhauer J., Beseoglu H. 2006. The cognitive accessibility of synaesthetic
metaphors. Proceedings of the Twenty-eighth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society.
(Eds.) R. Sun & N. Miyake. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: 2365–2370.
 Ziem, A. 2014. Frames of understanding in text and discourse. Theoretical foundations and
descriptive applications. Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing.