Shedding some light on the metaphors of light (a Spanish-Chinese linguo-cultural contrast)

Abstract

This paper compares Spanish and Chinese metaphoric lexical and phraseological units whose source domain is the opposition between light and shade. These units are collected, analysed and classified according to their figurative meanings. On the one hand, it is observed that several groups share the same target domains, such as FAITH vs. SIN, KNOWLEDGE vs. IGNORANCE, INTELLIGENCE vs. STUPIDITY, LEGITIMACY vs. CLANDESTINITY, and LIFE vs. DEATH among others. On the other hand, there are specific differences in the surface level of particular metaphors, but, mostly, striking coincidences at the more general level of linguo-cultural macromodels, taking into account the large linguistic and cultural gaps between the Spanish and the Chinese worlds.