Conceptual Metaphors of Joy in Kyrgyz and Chinese Idioms: A Cross-Cultural Cognitive Analysis

Abstract

As a core emotional experience, "joy" possesses biological universality, yet its linguistic representations are profoundly modulated by specific cultural schemas. From the perspective of Cognitive Linguistics, this study conducts a deep cognitive deconstruction of joy-related idioms in Kyrgyz and Chinese, employing Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and comparative linguistic methods. The findings reveal significant heterogeneity in container, orientational, and ecological schemas between the two languages. Kyrgyz metaphors emphasize the physical rupture of boundaries and vertical spatial stretching, rooted in the tension-driven logic of nomadic ecology. In contrast, Chinese metaphors lean toward the orderly overflow of emotion and localized elevation, reflecting the regulation of emotional rhythms inherent in agrarian culture. The results demonstrate that culture, acting as a cognitive filter, transforms shared embodied experiences into distinct semantic logics. This research not only uncovers the deep structural differences in emotional cognition between Kyrgyz and Chinese but also provides empirical support from Central and East Asian languages for the theory of cultural modulation in embodied cognition.