Metaphors in encoding inalienability in Kiswahili

Abstract

Using data from a text corpus and the framework of conceptual metaphors, this paper establishes that inalienable possession constructions in Kiswahili are generally encoded metaphorically in that often, semantically, there is no correlation between the inalienable possession and the corresponding verb. Contextually, the construction often involves the expression of abstract phenomena such as emotions, and various states of mind. Also, although some of these constructions can be viewed as conceptual metaphors in general and body metaphors in particular, analyzing them in terms of source and target domain may be problematic. It also demonstrates that distinct inalienable constructions display different levels of metaphors depending on the inalienable possessions present and their real life affinity with the verb involved and also that the metaphoric status of such constructions may not stem from the structure of the construction, but rather the intimate possession present and its relationship with the verb.