When embodiment meets generative lexicon: The human body part metaphors in Sinica corpus

This research aims to integrate embodiment with generative lexicon. By analyzing the metaphorically used human body part terms in Sinica Corpus, the first balanced modern Chi-nese corpus, we reveal how these two theories complement each other. Embodiment strengthens generative lexicon by spelling out the cognitive reasons which underlies the pro-duction of meaning, and generative lexicon, specifically the qualia structure, complements embodiment by accounting for the reason un-derlying the selection of a particular body part for metaphorization. Discussing how the four body part terms-xie "blood", rou "flesh", gu "bone", mai "meridian"-behave metaphorically, this research argues that the visibility and the telic role of the qua-lia structure are the major reasons motivating the choice of a body part to represent a com-paratively abstract notion. The finding ac-counts for what constrains the selection of body parts for metaphorical uses. It also facili-tates the prediction of the behavior of the four body part terms in these uses, which can func-tion as the starting point to examine whether the two factors-visibility and telicity-also motivate the metaphorization of the rest hu-man body parts.