Analysis on metaphor of sky based on corpus

Abstract

This study explores the different metaphorical usage of sky using the BNC corpus, one of the largest English corpus in the world. It aims to uncover the diverse conceptualizations and linguistic expressions associated with this universal and culturally significant element. By employing corpus linguistics methods, the study views a broad range of written and spoken texts to identify and analyze metaphors of sky in various contexts and genres. The research seeks to elucidate how the metaphor of sky is employed to convey abstract concepts, such as emotions, aspirations, spirituality, and how it is intertwined with cultural, environmental, and imaginative dimensions. Through the systematic analysis of linguistic data extracted from the BNC corpus, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the metaphorical diversity of the sky. The findings provide insights into the cognitive and communicative significance of sky-based metaphors, offering valuable implications for fields such as linguistics, cognitive science, cultural studies, and literary analysis.