Humoral theory as motivation for anger metaphors in the Hebrew Bible

Abstract

This article reviews the role of the ancient Israelite humoral theory in the motivation of anger metaphors in the Hebrew Bible. It is argued that the role of the folk theory of bodily fluids on the cognitive interpretation of anger in the Hebrew Bible has been underestimated. While the study of universal bodily experience as motivation for conceptual metaphor and metonymy in Classical Hebrew has proven to be of great value, such research needs to be supplemented by further inquiries into the role of the ancient Israelite folk theory regarding physiology. Evidence is provided that many of the Classical Hebrew words and expressions for anger can be brought in direct relation with the ancient Israelite beliefs regarding the humours.

Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 2005, 23(2): 205–209