Abstract

Abstract:

In languages across the world, the representation of temporal notions shows a high relatedness to spatial expressions. In Isbukun Bunun, the mapping between space and time is also attested, but is limited in several ways. In this study, I discuss the types of space-time mapping, and deliberate on some grammatical characteristics of this language that discourage the speakers from thinking of time in terms of spatial objects. Instead of space-time metaphor, a metonymic model is employed that features emphasis on event dynamics rather than precise clock time. That is, time is expressed in terms of daily chores and traditional rituals in the Bunun community. The result is consistent with recent metaphor studies in Austronesian languages of Taiwan, and may carry significant implications for language typology as a whole.

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