A corpus-based analysis of synesthetic metaphors in Korean

Abstract

Jo, Charmhun. 2019. A corpus-based analysis of synesthetic metaphors in Korean. Linguistic Research 36(3), 459-483. Linguistic synesthesia generally means an experiential mapping of one sensory domain onto another, such as with the experience of sweet sound. The study aimed to test Ullmann's (1963) theoretical framework of "hierarchical distribution" through synesthetic data obtained from the Sejong Corpus. In this paper, therefore, I focused on clarifying the overall routes of Korean synesthetic transfers and the universal and/or culture-specific aspects of the synesthetic associations. The results of data analysis display that (a) Korean synesthesia conforms to Ullmann's (1963) general scheme of metaphoric mappings, (b) the predominant source domain is touch while the predominant target is hearing, which also accords with Ullmann's (1963) study, and (c) there could be a probable cultural dependency, whereby "taste" occupies a significant position along with "touch" in Korean synesthetic metaphors. (Southwest University).