台語植物固定語式的語意分析：中心語意與詞彙認知

A Semantic Analysis of Taiwanese Botanical Fixed Expressions: Core Meaning and Lexical Cognition

本文重點在研究常用台語植物固定語式的表面語意和內涵，包含中心語意，語意的出發點，以及這些詞彙在使用上的認知基礎。常用台語植物固定語式有四個中心思想：「高大如樹」、「美麗如花」、「普通如蕃薯」和「好糧如米」。大部分的固定語式就繞著這些中心思想再配合語彙環境來表達人對事物、環境的看法。固定語式主要採用的喻體有五穀（米、稻、粟、蕃薯、芋頭、花生）、蔬菜（芥菜，菜頭、菜瓜、蔥）、水果（芭樂、西瓜、柑、甘蔗、龍眼、香蕉）、樹和花。語意的出發點在：1）植物農作及生長特點；比如，芥菜六月無心、甘蔗十二月尾甜。2）植物使用和食用功能；比如，樹蔭、樹柴、插花。3）植物的外形特色；比如，土豆小、芭樂多子、樹大、花芳。4）諧音和民族性。台語植物固定語式是用來表達人生觀的詞彙，有別於動物固定語式在表達人的價值觀；因為動物固定語式大半是罵言詈辭，在批評人，而植物固定語式則大部分中立的表達出人對社會、政治、人情的看法與觀點。

This paper collects popular botanical fixed expressions(BFE) in Taiwanese and examines their core meanings, underlying conceits and people's cognition of using BFEs. Most BFEs are generated from four core meanings, i.e. “as tall as a tree”, “as beautiful as a flower”, “as common as a sweet potato” and “as valuable as rice”. These core meanings are allocated to collocations to express people's thoughts and outlooks on life. The metaphorical vehicles of BFEs are grains(rice, peanuts, sweet potatoes, taros), vegetable(leaf mustards, radishes, snake melons, green onions), fruits(guavas, water melons, tangerines, sugar canes, longans, bananas), trees and flowers. The underlying conceits seed in:(1). the growth characteristics and the cultivation, e.g., the leaf mustards have no hearts in June, and the sugar cane that is close to the root is sweet in December; (2)the outer features of the plants, e.g., small peanuts, seedy guavas, big trees, sweet flowers;(3). the usability of the plants, e.g., the shallow of a tree, firewood, flower arranging; (4)the edibility of the plants, e.g., vegetables, grains; and (5)homophones and mentality. Cognitively, most BFEs are vocabulary of neutral statements used to express people's outlook on life and the society peacefully. This is different from animal fixed expressions that are for the most part abusive words used to utter people's values rudely.