ANIMAL METAPHORS AND SEMANTIC DEROGATION – DO WOMEN THINK DIFFERENTLY FROM MEN?

Abstract

From a Cognitive Linguistics standpoint the paper looks at how Serbian university students of both sexes apply 20 animal names to women and their physical or mental traits. The paper aims to show (1) what animal names are used as positive or negative metaphors for women; (2) whether the same animal imagery is used by both sexes in semantic derogation of women; and (3) whether male students exhibit a higher degree of semantic derogation of women compared to female students