The Implications of Animal Metaphors for Syntactic Agreement in Arabic

Abstract

Animal metaphor as a mapping process between two domains is closely connected to the conceptual system. Syntactic agreement is also associated with the conceptual system as it is triggered by certain features with values that are determined within the conceptual system. This paper investigates the interaction between animal metaphors and agreement in Arabic. The metaphorical reading of an animal name is manifested at the level of syntax. Taking this into consideration, the paper argues that an animal metaphor is a hybrid lexical item which is composed of a lexical core represented by the animal name and a bundle of features consistent with a human name.