Examination of the underlying conceptual metaphors these expressions reflect.

Term paper on linguistics and metaphors Topic: Conceptual metaphors related to the common cold in English. Specifically, I aim to conduct a corpus-based study to identify and analyze metaphorical expressions used to describe the common cold, such as “catch a cold,” or “fight off a cold.” I plan to examine how these expressions reflect underlying conceptual metaphors related to illness and health. My preliminary hypothesis is that in English, these metaphors are often linked to the notion of a person actively fighting or battling the illness. Furthermore, I would like to incorporate a brief comparative analysis of how these English metaphors differ from those in Yoruba, where illness is often conceptualized as an active captor. This comparative perspective will highlight cultural differences in the metaphorical conceptualization of illness. Here are the main aspects I intend to cover in my paper: 1. Identification and analysis of common metaphorical expressions for the common cold in English using corpus data. 2. Examination of the underlying conceptual metaphors these expressions reflect. 3. Brief comparison with Yoruba metaphorical expressions to highlight cultural contrasts. Corpus Data from the BNC or COCA for English, Sketch engine for yoruba; the query to access the Data from the BNC/COCA should be mentioned. References to Lakoff’s theory of conceptual metaphors, as well as to other Scientific articles on health/illness related metaphors

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