Metaphorical Conceptions of Time: A Corpus-Based Semantic Analysis of ‘TIME IS MONEY’ in English and Chinese

Authors

  • Jiani Cao

    Department of English Language and Literature, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
  • Calbert Graham

    Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i1.7550
Received: 23 October 2024 | Revised: 18 December 2024 | Accepted: 20 December 2024 | Published Online: 7 January 2025

Abstract

Time, as an abstract yet fundamental concept, has been extensively studied across disciplines. Within cognitive linguistics, Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) suggests that people conceptualise time through source domains and mental mappings. However, cross-linguistic variations in these conceptualisations remain underexplored. This study employs a corpus-based semantic analysis to investigate the ‘TIME IS MONEY’ metaphor in British English and Mandarin Chinese, drawing data from the Freiburg-LOB Corpus (FLOB) and the Lancaster Corpus of Mandarin Chinese (LCMC). Through Metaphorical Pattern Analysis (MPA) and semantic tagging with Wmatrix, 219 English metaphors (15.38% of concordances) and 98 Chinese metaphors (19.37% of concordances) were identified. Statistical analyses revealed significant cross-linguistic differences, particularly in the semantic fields of Social Actions and Processes and Psychological Actions and Processes. The findings indicate that while the ‘TIME IS MONEY’ metaphor is more semantically diverse in Chinese, it is more systematically expressed in English. Culturally, English metaphors emphasise individual control over time, whereas Chinese metaphors underscore collective needs and responsibilities. These results highlight the cultural and linguistic nuances shaping metaphorical expressions of time, offering new insights into the interplay between language, cognition, and culture.

Keywords:

Time; Money; Cross-Linguistic Studies; Conceptual Metaphor Theory; Corpus-Based Analysis; Semantic Tagging; Semantic Analysis; Statistical Analysis

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How to Cite

Cao, J., & Graham, C. (2025). Metaphorical Conceptions of Time: A Corpus-Based Semantic Analysis of ‘TIME IS MONEY’ in English and Chinese. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(1), 520–531. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i1.7550

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 1 (January 2025)

Article Type

Article

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Copyright © 2025 Jiani Cao, Calbert Graham

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.