Mechanisms of meaning construction in Atar language from Langacker's grammatical point of view (case study: idioms)

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
zeinab akbari 1
arsalan golfam 2
1 Postdoc researcher of Persian language and literature, Tarbiat Modares University
2 associate professsor of linguistics, Tarbiat modares university
10.2634/Lire.22.89.9
Abstract
This study aims to examine the cognitive mechanisms involved in the production and comprehension of idiomatic expressions in Attar's anecdotes and to explain how the unconventional interpretation of these idioms serves mystical meaning-making. Using an analytical-applied approach and Langacker's cognitive grammar framework, particularly the concept of "current discourse space" and principles of "semantic decomposability and compositionality", idioms in selected works of Attar were qualitatively analyzed. The findings indicate that the process of creative meaning-making of idioms in Attar's mystical language can be described in a four-layer conceptual model: input layer, cognitive mechanisms layer, processing layer, and output and feedback layer. Unlike the traditional rhetorical approach, Attar simultaneously utilizes both literal and figurative aspects of idioms and purposefully deviates from the speaker's intended context to engage in creative meaning-making. This innovative interpretation is based on various cognitive mechanisms such as conceptual metaphor and metonymy, profile shifting, and conceptual blending. The functions of this approach can be examined at three levels: critiquing prevalent discourses, expressing complex mystical concepts in simple language, and creating wonder in the audience. This research demonstrates that a cognitive approach can contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between language, thought, and mystical experience in classical Persian texts and open new horizons in linguistic studies of mystical texts.
Keywords
cognitive grammar
Langacker's current discourse space theory
mystical language
idiom
Subjects
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Literary Research
Volume 22, Issue 89
Autumn 2025
Pages 9-34