SEMANTIC EXTENSIONS OF BODY-PART TERMS: A COGNITIVE SEMANTIC CONTRASTIVE STUDY OF ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Abstract

Semantic extension of body-part terms is a widespread phenomenon across languages, reflecting the relationship between cognitive experience and semantic development. This study analyzes and contrasts the semantic extension of three groups of terms - HEAD, FACE, and FOOT/LEG - in English and Vietnamese to clarify similarities and differences regarding meaning-creation mechanisms and the degree of conventionalization in each language. Employing a qualitative contrastive method combined with semantic analysis, the study utilizes a dataset comprising 38 typical meanings and structures gathered from dictionaries, published research, and verifiable usage contexts. The cases are analyzed based on mechanisms of semantic extension, target conceptual domains, and three levels of cross-linguistic correspondence: full correspondence, partial correspondence, and noncorrespondence. The results indicate that while English and Vietnamese share many patterns of semantic extension based on the location, shape, and function of body parts, they differ significantly in instances influenced by conventionalization and specific cultural-linguistic characteristics. Specifically, English uses HEAD to denote the leader of an organization; the Vietnamese term *MẶT* (face) has a broader scope regarding the meaning of "surface," whereas *CHÂN* (leg/foot) encompasses a semantic field that English divides between FOOT and LEG. These findings contribute to elucidating the cognitive and semantic characteristics of semantic extension in both languages and provide a reference basis for contrastive linguistics, English-Vietnamese translation, and the teaching of English vocabulary to Vietnamese learners.