ANALYSIS OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL SEMANTIC STRUCTURING AND INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECTIONS OF THE CHINESE CONCEPT “WATER” WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR THEORY

Abstract

The article presents an analysis of the multidimensional semantic structure of the Chinese concept “water” within the framework of conceptual metaphor theory. The study aims to identify the mechanisms of semantic structuring of this concept, as well as its interdisciplinary projections into socio-political, ethical, and temporal discourses. The methodology combines corpus analysis of Chinese language data (using the CCL corpus), conceptual modeling, and synthesis of approaches from cognitive linguistics, cultural studies, and philosophy. The results demonstrate that the metaphorical projections of water in Chinese linguoculture form a complex semiotic system integrating philosophical, gender, and social codes. Special attention is given to the dialectics of cultural ambivalence surrounding water: from the ethical ideal in Daoism (“the highest good resembles water”) to negative connotations in patriarchal discourse (“beauty as destructive water”). The scientific novelty of the work lies in systematizing the historical-cultural factors influencing the semantic evolution of water metaphors, including hydraulic practices of ancient China and literary canons.