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Analysis of Conceptual Metonymy of Verbal-to-Nominal Shift in English and Chinese
LI Guo-ao, GAO Wen-cheng
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DOI:10.17265/2159-5836/2025.10.005
University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
The phenomenon of verbal-to-nominal shift (hereafter referred to as “V-N shift”) exists in both English and Chinese. It reflects both the universal conceptual metonymic thinking and the principle of linguistic economy. Focusing on conceptual metonymy theory and combined with the Event Idealized Cognitive Model (ICM), this paper systematically compares the V-N shift phenomenon in English and Chinese. The study shows that English and Chinese V-N shifts share the core cognitive mechanism of “conceptual proximity within the Event ICM”, while significant differences exist in type distribution and usage frequency. This analysis not only helps deepen the understanding of the cognitive logic behind English and Chinese V-N shifts but also provides a new perspective for the study of word-class conversion and the relationship between language and thinking.
English-Chinese verbal-to-nominal shift, conceptual metonymy, Event ICM Model
Journal of Literature and Art Studies, October 2025, Vol. 15, No. 10, 775-780
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