UNIVERSITEIT GENT FACULTEIT LETTEREN EN WIJSBEGEERTE ____________________ 2006 – 2007 BASIC COLOUR TERMS IN ENGLISH An examination of their use and meaning in English expressions Promotor: Verhandeling voorgelegd aan de Dr. M. Taverniers Faculteit Letteren en Wijsbegeerte voor het verkrijgen van de graad van licentiaat in de Taal- en Letterkunde: Germaanse talen, door Loes Chielens Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. M. Taverniers and Prof. Dr. A-M. Vandenbergen for their advice on how to construct and develop this dissertation. I would also like to thank my family and friends who encouraged and supported me these last months. i Contents 1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 1 2 Aims of this study .............................................................................. 2 3 Survey of relevant literature.............................................................. 4 3.1 Metaphor, metonymy and simile ...........................................................4 3.1.1 Metaphor......................................................................................... 4 3.1.2 Metonymy ....................................................................................... 8 3.1.3 Simile .............................................................................................11 3.2 Collocations and idioms......................................................................12 3.2.1 Collocations ...................................................................................12 3.2.2 Idioms ............................................................................................14 3.3 Basic Colour Terms ............................................................................18 4 Methodology..................................................................................... 22 4.1 Collecting the data ..............................................................................22 4.2 The analysis of meaning in the theory of cognitive linguistics.............24 5 The use and meaning of basic colour terms ................................. 27 5.1 Classifying the data ............................................................................27 5.2 Black...................................................................................................34 5.2.1 NEGATIVE ........................................................................................34 5.2.2 RACE /ETHNICITY ..............................................................................38 5.2.3 HISTORY /POLITICAL ..........................................................................39 5.2.4 QUALITIES /MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS ..............................................40 5.2.5 NATURE ..........................................................................................41 5.2.6 FABRIC /CLOTHING ............................................................................42 5.2.7 BODY ..............................................................................................42 5.2.8 DISEASES ........................................................................................45 5.2.9 PRINTING /INK /WRITING .....................................................................46 5.2.10 COMPARISON WITH ANIMALS /OBJECTS ...............................................46 5.2.11 AS OPPOSED TO WHITE ....................................................................47 5.2.12 UNCERTAIN /UNCLASSIFIED ...............................................................48 5.2.13 Conclusion .....................................................................................48 5.3 White ..................................................................................................50 5.3.1 POSITIVE .........................................................................................50 5.3.2 NEGATIVE ........................................................................................51 5.3.3 RACE /ETHNICITY ..............................................................................53 5.3.4 HISTORY /POLITICAL ..........................................................................55 5.3.5 QUALITIES /MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS ..............................................55 5.3.6 NATURE ..........................................................................................56 5.3.7 FABRIC /CLOTHING ............................................................................57 5.3.8 BODY ..............................................................................................58 5.3.9 DISEASES ........................................................................................60 ii 5.3.10 PRINTING /INK /WRITING .....................................................................60 5.3.11 COMPARISON WITH ANIMALS /OBJECTS ...............................................60 5.3.12 AS OPPOSED TO BLACK ....................................................................61 5.3.13 UNCERTAIN /UNCLASSIFIED ...............................................................62 5.3.14 Conclusion .....................................................................................63 5.4 Red .....................................................................................................65 5.4.1 POSITIVE .........................................................................................65 5.4.2 NEGATIVE ........................................................................................66 5.4.3 RACE /ETHNICITY ..............................................................................68 5.4.4 HISTORY /POLITICAL ..........................................................................68 5.4.5 QUALITIES /MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS ..............................................69 5.4.6 NATURE ..........................................................................................70 5.4.7 FABRIC /CLOTHING ............................................................................70 5.4.8 BODY ..............................................................................................71 5.4.9 DISEASES ........................................................................................73 5.4.10 PRINTING /INK /WRITING .....................................................................73 5.4.11 COMPARISON WITH ANIMALS /OBJECTS ...............................................74 5.4.12 UNCERTAIN /UNCLASSIFIED ...............................................................74 5.4.13 Conclusion .....................................................................................75 5.5 Blue ....................................................................................................76 5.5.1 POSITIVE .........................................................................................76 5.5.2 NEGATIVE ........................................................................................76 5.5.3 RACE /ETHNICITY ..............................................................................77 5.5.4 HISTORY /POLITICAL ..........................................................................78 5.5.5 QUALITIES /MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS ..............................................78 5.5.6 NATURE ..........................................................................................79 5.5.7 FABRIC /CLOTHING ............................................................................79 5.5.8 BODY ..............................................................................................80 5.5.9 DISEASES ........................................................................................81 5.5.10 PRINTING /INK /WRITING .....................................................................82 5.5.11 COMPARISON WITH ANIMALS /OBJECTS ...............................................82 5.5.12 UNCERTAIN /UNCLASSIFIED ...............................................................82 5.5.13 Conclusion .....................................................................................83 5.6 Green..................................................................................................84 5.6.1 POSITIVE .........................................................................................84 5.6.2 NEGATIVE ........................................................................................84 5.6.3 HISTORY /POLITICAL ..........................................................................85 5.6.4 QUALITIES /MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS ..............................................86 5.6.5 NATURE ..........................................................................................86 5.6.6 FABRIC /CLOTHING ............................................................................87 5.6.7 BODY ..............................................................................................88 5.6.8 DISEASES ........................................................................................88 5.6.9 PRINTING /INK /WRITING .....................................................................89 5.6.10 COMPARISON WITH ANIMALS/OBJECTS ...............................................89 iii 5.6.11 UNCERTAIN /UNCLASSIFIED ...............................................................89 5.6.12 Conclusion .....................................................................................90 5.7 Yellow .................................................................................................91 5.7.1 NEGATIVE ........................................................................................91