Монгол хэлний орны утгат үгээр танин мэдэхүйн зүйрлэл илрэх нь

Conceptual Metaphors Expressed through Spatial Terms in the Mongolian language

Abstract

This paper examines spatial–temporal relational nouns in contemporary Mongolian from the perspective of cognitive linguistics, drawing on the framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory proposed by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson. The study analyzes idiomatic expressions containing spatial terms extracted from the Electronic Explanatory Dictionary of the Mongolian Language and various Mongolian idiom dictionaries. These expressions were selected and examined to identify the relationship between their literal and metaphorical meanings.
Based on the theory of embodied cognition, the study demonstrates that spatial terms such as deer (above), door (below), ömno (in front), hoino (behind), dotor (inside), gadna (outside), naana (this side), and tsaana (that side) function not only to denote physical location but also as fundamental cognitive mechanisms for conceptualizing abstract domains. These include social hierarchy, value judgments, emotions, morality, temporal relations, and life processes.
The findings indicate that vertical spatial metaphors (UP–DOWN) are particularly prominent in Mongolian, reflecting the conceptual pattern GOOD IS UP / BAD IS DOWN. In addition, terms such as dotor (“inside”) frequently realize the CONTAINER metaphor, conceptualizing the human mind and emotions as an internal space (e.g., THE MIND IS A CONTAINER). The study further reveals that spatial oppositions form a system of binary cognitive organization in Mongolian conceptualization.
Overall, the results demonstrate that spatial–temporal relational nouns constitute core conceptual structures through which abstract meanings are expressed in Mongolian. These linguistic units reflect a strongly embodied and anthropocentric cognitive pattern, highlighting the role of bodily experience in structuring Mongolian linguistic and conceptual systems.