Discussion about language, image and understanding

摘要

A mental image is the extra-linguistic, internal representation formed in the brain through the interaction of different sense organs. Experiments show that abstract conceptual words denoting emotions have very high imagery values and display properties contrary to those of ordinary abstract concepts. According to cognitive linguists, the linguistic sign system and mental image system are two important sign systems that support cognitive activities. It can be believed that the two systems affect each other, rather than existing independently. Centering on the linguistic expressions denoting emotions in Chinese, English and Japanese, this paper explores the relation between linguistic signs, which are the medium to express human emotions, and mental images of emotion concepts, pointing out that linguistic signs, relevant concrete nouns in particular, participate in the formation and improvement of the mental imagery values of emotion concepts enormously.