Environment, Language and Mindset: The Cognitive Analysis of Conceptual Metaphors in Ethical Domains of “Honesty & Betrayal” in Farsi, English & French

 ‎‏The main aim of the present paper is a comparative analysis of idiomatic expressions in the domains of “honesty” and “betrayal” through the extraction of their image schemas, as well as an investigation of the effect of “environment” on the “mindset” of speakers of Persian, English, and French, based on the cognitive approach of Johnson and Lakoff (1980). A total of 60 idioms from the two domains across the three languages were selected as data to examine the process of mapping and binding between source and target domains and to measure the degree of embodied metaphors. The results reveal that the container image schema is the dominant pattern employed by all three languages to conceptualize abstract ethical concepts. Moreover, the findings confirm the pervasive (100%) presence of embodiment across all identified schemas. Variations in cultural context and environment lead to variations in linguistic structures, which in turn give rise to different mental perceptions of the same concepts. The results highlight the role of the “environment” within the continuum of “environment–embodied language–mindset.” A high frequency of force and verticality image schemas in Persian, particularly in the domain of “betrayal,” reflects an intensified conceptualization of violence and hierarchical power relations, where betrayal is associated with dominance and honesty with weakness in certain social representations. In contrast, in the domain of “honesty,” Persian conceptualizations tend to associate honesty with “high” spatial positioning and betrayal with “low” positioning, which can be interpreted in light of the moral and religious values of the speech community. English, which exhibits a higher proportion of path and surface schemas, directs speakers toward a conceptualization that emphasizes directness in expressing truth. Finally, the relatively high frequency of force schemas in French in the domain of “honesty” underscores a cultural tendency toward the free expression of opinions and the bold disclosure of information as socially valued norms.
Introduction
Cognitive linguistics focuses on inevitable relationship between form and meaning, whether form is the determining factor in establishing a particular meaning and mindset or mindset is the main source of linguistic variation, has been the investigation of researches for many years. Johnson (2024) refers to a triadic approach of “mindset-body-environment” to account for the role of “environment” in this regard; however, there is a gap for researches focusing on this relationship. Lakoff and Johnson’s model (1980) has been considered the framework of many researchers in cognitive linguistics to merely identify the embodiment of utterances and to provide a description of different type schemas of force, containment, path and etc. Rare studies are conducted towards the investigation of “environment and its subcategory, culture” role on surface structure schemas on one hand, and the influence of various surface structures and embodied language on mindset of speakers on the other hand. “Environment” in linguistics is an umbrella term, referring to both physical surrounding and beliefs, traditions and cultural context, as well. Researches focusing on macrostructures of culture and mindset can develop the universal understanding of how same or various environments can establish similar or contradictory viewpoints and this way, many political, social and global misunderstandings and jurisdictions can be facilitated. Regarding the mentioned issues, following main questions are raised: 1. how much do the speakers of three languages of Farsi, English and French make use of “embodiment” to perceive and communicate the abstract concepts of “honesty and betrayal”? , and 2. What is the effect of “environment” distinction on three languages speakers “perception and viewpoint” in Lakoff and Johnson’s triadic approach of “mind-body-environment”?
Methods
The researcher first aims to prove the “embodiment” of language structures and in the second stage, to highlight the role of “cultural context and environment” on speakers’ viewpoints and mindset. Proving and determining the succession of the cognitive factors “mind-body-environment” is of the research objectives, as well. Thus, 60 idiomatic expressions in ethical domains of “honesty & betrayal” in three languages of Farsi, English and French are selected and their image schemas are extracted and analyzed and extended to macrostructures as perception and viewpoint. The method used in this article is descriptive-analytical based on collecting information from three languages daily usage idioms. “Environment, encompassing the surrounding and cultural distinctions” is considered as variable to identify the effect of various cultural settings on formation of idiomatic expressions. The analysis of idiomatic expressions “honesty & betrayal” concepts in three languages is based on Lakoff and Johnson’s neural theory of thought (2012) and triadic approach of “mind-body-environment” to distinguish the components of each idiom, determine the cogs or image schemas and to identify the mapping process of source domain (idiomatic expressions surface structure) on target domain (conceptual content) and this approach helps fulfill the objectives of study. Lakoff refers to Neural Theory of Thought & Language (NTTL) in this regards and allocates the metaphoric thinking ability of mankind to “multi dimensional mirror neurons” of brain. According to him:”the so-called abstract concepts are embodied and are of two kinds: cognitive primitives “image schemas” and primary conceptual metaphors. These are universal cognitive structures, eitherthere are at birth or developed every day.” (2012).
Discussion
Cognitive analysis of idiomatic expression (conceptual metaphors) in three languages of English, Farsi and French based on Lakoff and Johnson’s approach of “mind-body-environment” is conducted in two separate tables for two concepts of “honesty” and “betrayal” and a total table is illustrated to clarify the final calculated percentage of embodied expressions and the type of image schemas employed for each concept in each language and generally:
Table (1). The percentage of each image schema in two domains of “honesty & betrayal” & total




Total


French


Farsi


English


Image Schema




41.80


47.50


37.21


41.03


Containment




35.25


37.50


39.53


28.21


Force




13.93


10


9.30


23.08


Path




4.92


2.50


9.30


2.56


Vertical Direction




4.10


2.50


4.65


5.13


Balance




*Containment image schema is the most pattern imposed by environment and employed by speakers’ mind to perceive the abstract concept of “honesty and betrayal” generally. French language provides more linguistic facilities in this regard to conceptualize the intangible contents generally. Force image schema gets the second rank among all patterns to transfer and illustrate both concepts in three languages generally and Farsi’s rank to employ force schema for the concept of “betrayal” is higher among others. Making use of structures as سر کسی را زیر آب کردن، سرکسی کلاه گذاشتن ، به کسی خنجر زدن with literal meaning of “putting hat on somebody’s head, stabbing someone’s head under water, inserting a stab on someone’s body and similar words showing force”, is influenced by Persian setting and cultural beliefs and as well conceptualizes the “betrayal” equal to extreme “violence and crime” and importance of “being cautious in society” in mind of its speakers, is highlighted.
*High percentages of force and vertical direction schema in Farsi for the concept of “betrayal” associates the idiomatic hierarchy of betrayal=violence=top and honesty=weakness=down in mind of its speakers in individual, social and political level; a mindset which is elicited through contextual environment, depicted in idioms surface layers and influences the viewpoints. On the other hand, the vertical direction image schema for “top” position of the concept “honesty” in Farsi, associates this trait as something which is almighty and regarded as a moral advantage, elicited by religious beliefs of Farsi speakers.
       *High percentage of force image schema to depict the abstract concept of “honesty” belongs to French language which guides its speakers through free expression of opinions and even revealing the hidden information as a positive and even an intelligent behaviour which can be traced back to French unique political and philosophical beliefs of Existanicialism: (expressions such as vider son sac: empty your bag, Ne pas avoir sa langue dans sa poche: don’t have your tongue in your pocket).
*English language makes use of path (source-path-goal) image schema for both concepts about 50% and more than other languages to show the path of deviation from honesty to betrayal (the words in idioms such as “to come clean, sell someone down the river, and say truth to someone’s face, associate the created images to directness and non-deviated path of saying the truth. Surface image schemas is as well employed in English idioms much more than other two languages, all such images in surface layer of language guide the speakers to realize honesty in a direct, straightforward path, on surface, outer level of being which emphasizes the necessity of expressing the truth directly and candidly as a social norm.
*Some idiomatic expressions with identical figurative meaning and exact or almost exact literal surface layer are identified which can be called cross-cultural or universal conceptual metaphors. According to Kovecses (2018), “universal metaphors are the conceptual metaphors that are used universally, near universally or potentially universally.” The present paper identified 6 universal idioms, an example is represented below:
For the concept of Betrayal, all three languages use a similar surface structure referring to same abstract content: English: nurture a viper in one’s bosom/ French: un serpent dans le dos/Farsi: مار در آستین پروراندن (Containment and force image schemas are common image schemas or which conceptualize betrayal through violating the “body and privacy” of a partner who was once a friend, and force schema refers to act of “stinging and inserting force”; both primary metaphors shape the final metaphor and direct the mind of speakers towards the intense violence action of betrayal). However the French expression with literal portrayal of “a snake in the grass” involves containment, path and force schema, highlighting “violation of privacy, the direction of betrayal and unpleasant force of being betrayed”.
Conclusion
According to the above mentioned issues and results, the environment (sorrounding and cultural setting) plays an important role in illustration of specific images in surface level of conceptual metaphors which are analyzed by mind through breaking down into smaller primary metaphors and image schemas and directs the viewpoint and mindset of speakers towards certain perceptions. “Body” is employed as a medium in all idiomatic expressions directly or indirectly to assist the mind in conceptualization of abstract concepts within its borders. The succession of factors can be determined as “environment-embodied language- mindset” or as a cycle with each factor comes after the other, since the dialectical relationship of form and mindset cannot be ignored. The results of the present research conforms to viewpoints of Johnson’s eight e’s (2024) on “meaning and cognition” in mapping process of source domain (surface structure) to target domain (idiomatic meaning): meaning is embodied, it’s embedded in cultures, it’s enacted by speakers, it's extended, it's emotionery, executive, evolutionary and ecstatic.
Ethical Considerations
Not applicable
Funding
Not applicable
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest