<p>This thesis examines usage of English colour terms in context, based on an extensive computerised text corpus, the Bank of English. It describes the ways in which English colour terms may be used to refer to nuances outside their normal area of designation and to attributes outside the colour domain. Usage patterns are analysed on three different levels: with regard to the overall frequency of occurrences, nominal domains and individual tokens, respectively. </p><p>Cognitive linguistics supplies the theoretical framework employed in the analyses of the observed patterns. The study identifies three types of usage where colour terms refer to peripheral colour nuances or to concepts outside the colour domain: classifying, figurative and marked usage. </p><p>When a colour term has a classifying function, it can be used outside the normal area of designation. This usage is analysed as a type of reference-point construction where a term referring to a salient point in the colour domain is used to subcategorise an entity whose actual colour may be only a peripheral member of the category named by the colour term. An analysis of the OED and the Bank of English shows that this type of usage is primarily restricted to a few of the most salient basic terms. </p><p>This study points to the close affinities between classifying and figurative usage. Figurative expressions of colour terms frequently have a classifying function. I argue that figurative meanings are derived through two types of metonymy: +SALIENT ATTRIBUTE FOR OBJECT+ and +SALIENT CONCRETE ATTRIBUTE FOR SALIENT ABSTRACT ATTRIBUTE+. </p><p>Marked usage arises when specific colour terms are used in nominal domains where the specificity is not expected. This phenomenon is consequently confined to non-basic colour terms. </p><p>On the basis of the established patterns of usage and the frequency of occurrences, this thesis suggests that the colour category may be analysed as a radial category, with the basic colour terms forming the centre. </p>

This thesis examines usage of English colour terms in context, based on an extensive computerised text corpus, the Bank of English. It describes the ways in which English colour terms may be used to refer to nuances outside their normal area of designation and to attributes outside the colour domain. Usage patterns are analysed on three different levels: with regard to the overall frequency of occurrences, nominal domains and individual tokens, respectively. Cognitive linguistics supplies the theoretical framework employed in the analyses of the observed patterns. The study identifies three types of usage where colour terms refer to peripheral colour nuances or to concepts outside the colour domain: classifying, figurative and marked usage. When a colour term has a classifying function, it can be used outside the normal area of designation. This usage is analysed as a type of reference-point construction where a term referring to a salient point in the colour domain is used to subcategorise an entity whose actual colour may be only a peripheral member of the category named by the colour term. An analysis of the OED and the Bank of English shows that this type of usage is primarily restricted to a few of the most salient basic terms. This study points to the close affinities between classifying and figurative usage. Figurative expressions of colour terms frequently have a classifying function. I argue that figurative meanings are derived through two types of metonymy: +SALIENT ATTRIBUTE FOR OBJECT+ and +SALIENT CONCRETE ATTRIBUTE FOR SALIENT ABSTRACT ATTRIBUTE+. Marked usage arises when specific colour terms are used in nominal domains where the specificity is not expected. This phenomenon is consequently confined to non-basic colour terms. On the basis of the established patterns of usage and the frequency of occurrences, this thesis suggests that the colour category may be analysed as a radial category, with the basic colour terms forming the centre.

This thesis explores textual and visual images of the EU in South Korea's three prestigious popular newspapers - Chosun Ilbo, Dong A Ilbo and Joong Ang Ilbo - and compares them to the imagery created by the internet versions of these newspapers. In recent years, much scholarly work has been done on the topics of EU imagery in print media, but no systemic attempt has yet been made to EU imagery in internet media. The thesis analyses EU news monitored daily in 12 months of 2008 (a year of the first G20 Summit in Washington and the 6th and 7th rounds of EU-Korea FTA negotiations). This study is interdisciplinary. The thesis draws on several significant theories and concepts from the media studies and linguistics. On top of this, a wide range of approaches of content and visual analysis were reviewed. The study then considers and adopts a multimethodological approach of content analysis (studies by Chaban and Holland) and of visual analysis (by Bain) based on visual semiotics. However, to cope with internet media it also adds several categories which add the notion of interactivity to the original content analysis. It incorporates categories originating from a social semiotic approach (elements of interactive and compositional meta-functions) into the original visual analysis. The results of this study are presented in three case studies. In the first section of each case study the thesis provides a comprehensive overview featuring the latest information and various perspectives (political, economic, social, environmental and developmental). The second section presents formal characteristics of EU images in print newspapers and their internet versions. The third section covers substantive characteristics in both versions. The last section suggests the results of visual analysis. The results of this thesis contribute to two areas of studies: EU external perception studies and internet communication studies: as well as enhancing a deeper understanding of EU-Korea relations.

Cognitive linguists posit that language as a system of meaning is closely related to cognition and to the associated perceptual and physiological structures of the body. From the cognitive semantic viewpoint, cognitive processes underpin and motivate linguistic phenomena such as categorisation, polysemy, metaphor, metonymy and image schemas. The pedagogical implication of the cognitive semantic perspective is that understanding these cognitive motivations facilitates language learning. This dissertation uses an applied cognitive semantic approach to `make sense' of a traditional knowledge system, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM views human physiology as a holistic and dynamic system that exemplifies the same principles as the cosmos-environment. TCM models result in a categorisation of physiological phenomena based on a complex system of experiential and cosmological correspondences. I suggest that the holistic epistemology of cognitive linguistics is well suited to an understanding of these holistic models. From a pedagogical viewpoint, I argue that an analysis of the cognitive motivations which underpin TCM categorisations and the polysemy of some key TCM terms can help the student make sense of TCM as a meaningful system of thought and practice. Both the theoretical and applied approaches explored in this dissertation should have relevance to other traditional knowledge systems, particularly traditional medical systems. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Linguistics)

Cette thèse présente une analyse linguistique d’une sélection de poèmes de John Keats, et plus précisément celle de l’expression et de la verbalisation de l’émotion à travers le langage dans les vingt-six poèmes qui composent le corpus poétique et qui constituent le point de départ de cette recherche. L’approche linguistique privilégiée est une approche cognitive, basée sur les théories de la linguistique cognitive, de la grammaire cognitive, et de la poétique cognitive. La théorie de la métaphore et de la métonymie conceptuelles joue également un rôle important dans les analyses poétiques et grammaticales présentées dans cette thèse. L’émotion est conçue comme embodied (incarnée). Son étude s’appuie sur les travaux des cognitivistes, sur la philosophie et sur les recherches en neurobiologie. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’examiner les manières dont l’émotion s’exprime au sein de la poésie keatsienne par une interrogation approfondie de la langue elle-même, en partant donc du principe que les éléments lexicaux et grammaticaux – et leur signification – qui composent les poèmes s’avèrent essentiels pour bien rendre compte de la traduction poétique de l’expérience émotionnelle. / This thesis presents a linguistic analysis of a selection of poems by John Keats: specifically, the expression and verbalization of emotion by way of language the twenty-six poems that compose the poetic corpus upon which this research is founded. The linguistic approach taken is a cognitive approach, based on the theories of cognitive linguistics, cognitive grammar, and cognitive poetics. Conceptual Metaphor and Metonymy Theory also play an important role in the poetic and grammatical analyses. The approach concerning emotion is an embodied one, based in language, philosophy, and with support from neurobiological research. The goal of this thesis is to examine the ways in which emotion is expressed within Keatsian poetry by a close interrogation of the language itself, thus holding the view that the lexical and grammatical elements—and their semantics—that compose the verses and poems themselves are essential to the salience of the poetic rendering of emotional experience.

No âmbito do ensino-aprendizagem de línguas adicionais, pesquisas acerca do desenvolvimento da oralidade têm demonstrado que se trata de um fenômeno multidimensional. Nakatani (2010) mostrou que o domínio de estratégias comunicacionais são indicadores de desempenho linguístico e se relacionam com a proficiência do aprendiz; Kang, Rubin e Pickering (2010) observaram que os traços fonológicos afetam a percepção sobre inteligibilidade e proficiência; Hewitt e Stephenson (2011), e Ahmadian (2012) indicaram que as condições psicológicas individuais interferem na qualidade da produção oral. Escribano (2004) sugeriu que a referência contextual é essencial na construção de sentido; Gao (2011) apontou os benefícios do ensino baseado na construção do sentido, a partir de metáforas conceptuais (LAKOFF e JOHNSON, 1980), codificação dupla (CLARK e PAIVIO, 1991) e esquemas imagéticos (LAKOFF, 1987); e Ellis e Ferreira-Junior (2009) demonstraram que as construções exibem efeitos de recência e priming, afetando o uso da linguagem dos parceiros interacionais. Tais estudos apontam para a natureza complexa da aquisição de L2, mas o fazem dentro do paradigma experimental da psicolinguística. Já Larsen-Freeman (2006), demonstra que a fluência, a precisão e a complexidade desenvolvem-se com o tempo, com alto grau de variabilidade, dentro do paradigma da Teoria da Complexidade. Em viés semelhante, Paiva (2011) observa que os sistemas de Aquisição de Segunda Língua (ASL) são auto-organizáveis. Esses trabalhos, no entanto, não abordaram aprendizes de L2 com proficiência inicial, como pretendo fazer aqui. Tendo como referenciais teóricos a Teoria da Complexidade e a Linguística Cognitiva, o presente trabalho apresenta um estudo de caso, qualitativo-interpretativista, com nuances quantitativos, que discute os processos de adaptação que emergiram na expressão oral de um grupo de aprendizes iniciantes de inglês como língua adicional no contexto vocacional. Parte do entendimento de que na sala de aula vários (sub)sistemas complexos coocorrem, covariando e coadaptando-se em diferentes níveis. A investigação contou com dados transcritos de três avaliações coletados ao longo de 28 horas de aula, no domínio ENTREVISTA DE EMPREGO. Após observar a produção oral das aprendizes, criei uma taxonomia para categorizar as adaptações que ocorreram na sintaxe, semântica, fonologia e pragmática da língua-alvo. Posteriormente organizei as categorias em níveis de prototipicidade (ROSCH et al, 1976) de acordo com as adaptações mais frequentes. Finalmente, avaliei a inteligibilidade de cada elocução, classificando-as em três níveis. A partir desses dados, descrevi como a prática oral dessas participantes emergiu e se desenvolveu ao longo das 28 horas. Os achados comprovam uma das premissas da Linguística Cognitiva ao mostrarem que os níveis de descrição linguística funcionam conjuntamente em prol do sucesso comunicacional. Além disso, demonstram que a função do professor, como discutem LARSEN-FREEMAN e CAMERON (2008), não é gerar uniformidade, mas sim oportunizar vivências que estabeleçam continuidade entre o mundo, o corpo e a mente / In the field of second and foreign language learning, research on oral communication development has been demonstrating that it is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. Nakatani (2010) showed that the ability to use communicative strategies is related to linguistic performance and learners proficiency level; Kang, Rubin and Pickering (2010) affirmed that learners phonology affects perception over proficiency and intelligiblity; Hewitt and Stephenson (2011), as well as Ahmadian (2012), contended that individual psychological conditions interfere in the quality of production. Escribano (2004) suggested that contextual knowledge is essential to conceptualization; Gao (2011) pointed out the benefits of an approach based on conceptual metaphors (LAKOFF and JOHNSON, 1980), dual coding (CLARK and PAIVIO, 1991), and image schemas (LAKOFF, 1987); Ellis and Ferreira-Junior (2009) demonstrated that constructions exhibit priming and recency effects, which influence participants language use. These studies together instantiate the complex nature of L2 acquisition on the experimental psychology paradigm. In the scope of Complexity Theory, Larsen-Freeman (2006) demontrated that fluency, accuracy, and complexity increase over time, despite exhibiting high individual variability. By the same token, Paiva (2011) observed that SLA systems are self-organisable. Nevertheless, none of the above-mentioned studies addressed beginners, as we intend to do herein. By overlapping Complexity Theory and Cognitive Linguistics, we present a case study, with sprinkles of quantification, in order to specifically discuss the adaptation processes that emerged from the oral practice of a group of six English beginner female learners (n=6) in the vocational context. We understand that several complex (sub-) systems co-occur in the classroom, covarying and coadapting in different levels. The investigation counted on transcribed data (ATKINSON and HERITAGE, 1984) from three oral evaluations collected over 28 class hours, in the JOB INTERVIEW domain. After observing the learnersoral production, we created a taxonomy to categorise the adaptations that emerged in target language syntax, meaning, fonology and pragmatics. Later, we displayed the categories in prototype levels (ROSCH et al, 1976) in terms of frequency. Finally, we classified the inteligibility of each learners utterance in three levels. By means of these data, we were able to describe how participants oral expression emerged and evolved over 28 hours. The results reaffirm one of Cognitive Linguistics premises when showing that language description levels work jointly in favor of communicative success; and demonstrate that the teacher, rather than generate uniformity, ought to give rise to learning opportunities that provides a continuum between the world, the body and the mind, as discussed by Larsen-Freeman e Cameron (2008)

No âmbito do ensino-aprendizagem de línguas adicionais, pesquisas acerca do desenvolvimento da oralidade têm demonstrado que se trata de um fenômeno multidimensional. Nakatani (2010) mostrou que o domínio de estratégias comunicacionais são indicadores de desempenho linguístico e se relacionam com a proficiência do aprendiz; Kang, Rubin e Pickering (2010) observaram que os traços fonológicos afetam a percepção sobre inteligibilidade e proficiência; Hewitt e Stephenson (2011), e Ahmadian (2012) indicaram que as condições psicológicas individuais interferem na qualidade da produção oral. Escribano (2004) sugeriu que a referência contextual é essencial na construção de sentido; Gao (2011) apontou os benefícios do ensino baseado na construção do sentido, a partir de metáforas conceptuais (LAKOFF e JOHNSON, 1980), codificação dupla (CLARK e PAIVIO, 1991) e esquemas imagéticos (LAKOFF, 1987); e Ellis e Ferreira-Junior (2009) demonstraram que as construções exibem efeitos de recência e priming, afetando o uso da linguagem dos parceiros interacionais. Tais estudos apontam para a natureza complexa da aquisição de L2, mas o fazem dentro do paradigma experimental da psicolinguística. Já Larsen-Freeman (2006), demonstra que a fluência, a precisão e a complexidade desenvolvem-se com o tempo, com alto grau de variabilidade, dentro do paradigma da Teoria da Complexidade. Em viés semelhante, Paiva (2011) observa que os sistemas de Aquisição de Segunda Língua (ASL) são auto-organizáveis. Esses trabalhos, no entanto, não abordaram aprendizes de L2 com proficiência inicial, como pretendo fazer aqui. Tendo como referenciais teóricos a Teoria da Complexidade e a Linguística Cognitiva, o presente trabalho apresenta um estudo de caso, qualitativo-interpretativista, com nuances quantitativos, que discute os processos de adaptação que emergiram na expressão oral de um grupo de aprendizes iniciantes de inglês como língua adicional no contexto vocacional. Parte do entendimento de que na sala de aula vários (sub)sistemas complexos coocorrem, covariando e coadaptando-se em diferentes níveis. A investigação contou com dados transcritos de três avaliações coletados ao longo de 28 horas de aula, no domínio ENTREVISTA DE EMPREGO. Após observar a produção oral das aprendizes, criei uma taxonomia para categorizar as adaptações que ocorreram na sintaxe, semântica, fonologia e pragmática da língua-alvo. Posteriormente organizei as categorias em níveis de prototipicidade (ROSCH et al, 1976) de acordo com as adaptações mais frequentes. Finalmente, avaliei a inteligibilidade de cada elocução, classificando-as em três níveis. A partir desses dados, descrevi como a prática oral dessas participantes emergiu e se desenvolveu ao longo das 28 horas. Os achados comprovam uma das premissas da Linguística Cognitiva ao mostrarem que os níveis de descrição linguística funcionam conjuntamente em prol do sucesso comunicacional. Além disso, demonstram que a função do professor, como discutem LARSEN-FREEMAN e CAMERON (2008), não é gerar uniformidade, mas sim oportunizar vivências que estabeleçam continuidade entre o mundo, o corpo e a mente / In the field of second and foreign language learning, research on oral communication development has been demonstrating that it is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. Nakatani (2010) showed that the ability to use communicative strategies is related to linguistic performance and learners proficiency level; Kang, Rubin and Pickering (2010) affirmed that learners phonology affects perception over proficiency and intelligiblity; Hewitt and Stephenson (2011), as well as Ahmadian (2012), contended that individual psychological conditions interfere in the quality of production. Escribano (2004) suggested that contextual knowledge is essential to conceptualization; Gao (2011) pointed out the benefits of an approach based on conceptual metaphors (LAKOFF and JOHNSON, 1980), dual coding (CLARK and PAIVIO, 1991), and image schemas (LAKOFF, 1987); Ellis and Ferreira-Junior (2009) demonstrated that constructions exhibit priming and recency effects, which influence participants language use. These studies together instantiate the complex nature of L2 acquisition on the experimental psychology paradigm. In the scope of Complexity Theory, Larsen-Freeman (2006) demontrated that fluency, accuracy, and complexity increase over time, despite exhibiting high individual variability. By the same token, Paiva (2011) observed that SLA systems are self-organisable. Nevertheless, none of the above-mentioned studies addressed beginners, as we intend to do herein. By overlapping Complexity Theory and Cognitive Linguistics, we present a case study, with sprinkles of quantification, in order to specifically discuss the adaptation processes that emerged from the oral practice of a group of six English beginner female learners (n=6) in the vocational context. We understand that several complex (sub-) systems co-occur in the classroom, covarying and coadapting in different levels. The investigation counted on transcribed data (ATKINSON and HERITAGE, 1984) from three oral evaluations collected over 28 class hours, in the JOB INTERVIEW domain. After observing the learnersoral production, we created a taxonomy to categorise the adaptations that emerged in target language syntax, meaning, fonology and pragmatics. Later, we displayed the categories in prototype levels (ROSCH et al, 1976) in terms of frequency. Finally, we classified the inteligibility of each learners utterance in three levels. By means of these data, we were able to describe how participants oral expression emerged and evolved over 28 hours. The results reaffirm one of Cognitive Linguistics premises when showing that language description levels work jointly in favor of communicative success; and demonstrate that the teacher, rather than generate uniformity, ought to give rise to learning opportunities that provides a continuum between the world, the body and the mind, as discussed by Larsen-Freeman e Cameron (2008)

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-05-22T12:39:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 patriciaribeirodovallecoutinho.pdf: 6874504 bytes, checksum: dcfac5bfe827dd30517321e4731c09ce (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-05-22T17:30:12Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 patriciaribeirodovallecoutinho.pdf: 6874504 bytes, checksum: dcfac5bfe827dd30517321e4731c09ce (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-22T17:30:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 patriciaribeirodovallecoutinho.pdf: 6874504 bytes, checksum: dcfac5bfe827dd30517321e4731c09ce (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-03-15 / Prosódia e cognição são os temas centrais do presente trabalho. Reivindica-se o lugar da fonologia na representação formal de construções gramaticais, uma vez que emparelhadas com informações semânticas, sintáticas e pragmáticas estão as informações fonológicas. A partir de contribuições teóricas da Linguística Cognitiva, o conceito de fonema é revisto, sendo tratado em termos de categoria de base corpórea e unidade construcional. Para essa nova visão, é fundamental, ao tratar do fenômeno, uma concepção que envolva a aquisição, o uso e a frequência de construções da língua. Ao se direcionar a atenção para o nível suprassegmental, enfatiza-se a função que a prosódia desempenha na interpretação e na negociação de sentidos. Defende-se que há uma ação conjunta e coordenada na produção da melodia da fala. A fim de analisar como a entoação pode apontar para a construção do significado, foi realizada, através de um programa computacional (PRAAT), a leitura acústica de dados de fala semiespontânea. Os resultados da submissão dos dados foram descritos no sentido de se observar as curvas da Frequência Fundamental (F0) nos trechos que encerram as respostas de entrevistados em coletivas de imprensa. A hipótese é a de que os contornos melódicos nessa transição de turno são descendentes e uma das razões para isso é o desgaste da pressão subglotal que ocorre no fluxo da fala. Outro ponto discutido é que a ação das pregas vocais pode ser considerada um caso particular entre as gestualidades produzidas pelo nosso aparato físico e perceptual. Estabelecendo uma projeção metafórica entre o domínio da coletiva de imprensa e o domínio da guerra, aposta-se na analogia entre os gestos produzidos pelas pregas vocais e os gestos dos braços em um combate. Enfim, quanto mais gestos "sonoros", de alta F0, ocorrem, maior é o poder de combate interacional do falante, na luta pelo turno. Se a F0 decai, dá-se a entrega do turno. São movimentos de caráter físico que estão estreitamente relacionados com o simbolismo conceptual da linguagem. / Prosody and cognition are the central subjects of the present work. The place of phonology in the formal representation of constructions is demanded, since phonological information is paired with semantic, syntactic and pragmatic information. From theoretical contributions of Cognitive Linguistic, the concept of phoneme is reviewed and reformulated with the notions of phoneme as an embodied category and phoneme as a constructional unit. For this new vision, it is fundamental a conception that involves the acquisition, the use and the frequency of language. To direct the attention for the suprassegmental level, it is emphasized the function that the prosody performs in the interpretation and management of meaning. One defends that there is a joint and coordinated action in the production of speech s melody. In order to analyze how the intonation can point out to the construction of meaning, an acoustics reading of data was accomplished through a computation program (PRAAT). The results of the submission of the data were described in order to observe the curves of fundamental frequency (F0) in the stretches that close the interviewed answers in the press conference. The work hypothesis is that the turn transition is configured by falling contours and one of the reasons for this is the deterioration of the subglotal pressure in the flow of the speech. Another point is that the action of vocal folds can be considered a particular case between the gestures produced by our physical and perceptual apparatus. From a metaphorical extension of the press conference's domain and the war's domain, it can be speculated the analogy between the gestures produced by the focal folds and the gestures of the arms in a combat.

Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the way George W. Bush used moral metaphors to intensify the language in his statements on Operation Iraqi Freedom. Three moral metaphors are presented within two different models that are applied on the data. The collected material for the metaphors is constituted of cognitive linguistic books from prominent linguists, such as George Lakoff, Alan Cruse and William Croft, and the data is collected from the official White House website. The scientific method used in this study has been qualitative text analysis where the hermeneutic approach has been an essential part of it. The main question: In what way did George W. Bush use moral metaphors in his statements to justify Operation Iraqi Freedom?, resulted in use of moral metaphors that sermons people’s moral values, depict Saddam Hussein’s characteristics as immoral, activate people’s moral priorities to help the Iraqi people, and addresses both conservatives and liberals in America. The conclusion of my study is that President Bush deliberately intensified the language in his statements through moral metaphors to justify Operation Iraqi Freedom. Keywords: Cognitive Linguistics, Metaphor, Figurative Language, Operation Iraqi Freedom, War on Terror, George W. Bush, Saddam Hussein, USA, Iraq, Qualitative Text Analysis, Hermeneutics.

[pt] Esta dissertação estuda locuções verbais da língua espanhola que apresentam alto grau de idiomaticidade e frequência de uso. O objetivo principal da pesquisa é investigar até que ponto processos cognitivos motivados por metáforas e metonímias são responsáveis pelo significado destas locuções. Para tal propósito, analisa-se um conjunto de locuções verbais da língua espanhola, tais como meter algo en la cabeza (meter algo na cabeça), cerrar la boca (fechar a boca) e abrir mano (abrir mão), que envolvem uma parte do corpo humano. As partes do corpo humano escolhidas para o conjunto de locuções para análise são cabeza (cabeça), boca (boca) e mano (mão). A fonte principal de coleta de dados é o Diccionario de la Lengua Española. O trabalho é realizado dentro da perspectiva teórica da Linguística Cognitiva e concebe a metáfora como um mapeamento conceptual entre dois domínios cognitivos com propriedades análogas; e a metonímia, como um processo mediante o qual uma entidade conceptual provê acesso a outra entidade conceptual dentro do mesmo domínio cognitivo. Na análise, descreve-se a estrutura das locuções, colocam-se exemplos da variedade das expressões e analisa-se o papel dos mecanismos da figuração mencionados na constituição do significado das locuções verbais selecionadas. Os resultados do trabalho constituem evidência para a relevância da metáfora e metonímia na constituição do significado das locuções verbais. / [en] This thesis studies verbal locutions in Spanish with a high degree of idiomaticity and frequency of use. The main objective of this research is to investigate to what extent cognitive processes triggered by metaphors and metonymies are responsible for the meaning of these locutions. For this purpose, a set of verbal locutions in Spanish language is analyzed, such as meter algo en la cabeza (to put something in the head), cerrar la boca (to close the mouth) and abrir mano (to open the hand), that involve a part of the human body. The body parts chosen for the set of locutions to be analyzed are cabeza (head), boca (mouth) and mano (hand). The main source of data collection is the Diccionario de la Lengua Española. The work is carried out within the theoretical perspective of Cognitive Linguistics and conceives metaphor as a conceptual mapping between two cognitive domains with analogous properties; and metonymy, as a process whereby a conceptual entity provides access to another conceptual entity within the same cognitive domain. In the analysis, the structure of the locutions is described, examples of the variety of expressions are given, and the role of the mentioned mechanisms of figuration in the constitution of the meaning of the selected verbal locutions is analyzed. The results of this work constitute evidence for the relevance of metaphor and metonymy in the constitution of the meaning of verbal locutions. / [es] Esta tesis estudia locuciones verbales en español, que presentan un alto grado de idiomaticidad y frecuencia de uso. El objetivo principal de este trabajo es investigar hasta qué punto los procesos cognitivos motivados por metáforas y metonimias son responsables por el significado de estas expresiones. Para tal propósito, se analiza un conjunto de locuciones verbales de la lengua española, tales como meter en la cabeza, cerrar la boca y abrir mano, que comprenden una parte el cuerpo humano. Las partes del cuerpo seleccionadas para el conjunto de expresiones, objeto del presente análisis, son cabeza, boca y mano. La fuente principal de recolección de datos es el Diccionario de la Lengua Española. El trabajo se realiza dentro de la perspectiva teórica de la Lingüística Cognitiva y concibe la metáfora como un mapeo conceptual entre dos dominios cognitivos con propiedades análogas; y la metonimia, como un proceso mediante el cual una entidad conceptual proporciona acceso para otra entidad conceptual dentro del mismo dominio cognitivo. En el análisis, se describe la estructura de las locuciones, se colocan ejemplos de la variedad de expresiones y se analiza el papel de la figuración de los mecanismos mencionados en la constitución del significado de las locuciones verbales seleccionadas. Los resultados de este trabajo son evidencia de la importancia de la metáfora y la metonimia en la constitución del significado de locuciones verbales.