Abstract

Starting from the premise that a metaphor is a cognitive mechanism in which one experiential domain is partially mapped onto a different experiential domain, this paper examines the metaphoric conceptualisation of “LOVE IS A PLANT” in Gĩkũyũ from a cognitive-semantics perspective. In order to achieve this objective, the study adopted the fundamental tenets of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT). An interview schedule was administered to 48 speakers of Gĩkũyũ by the researcher assisted by two research assistants of different gender. The data collected were subjected to the Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit (MIPVU) to find out whether the lexical items collected were metaphorical or not. Using four annotators, including the researcher, the study identified nine plantosemic metaphors which play a pivotal role in the understanding of love in Gĩkũyũ. The study concludes that plantosemic metaphors are conceptual phenomena which are integral component of the Gĩkũyũ cultural milieu expressed in language. Further, the study also notes that gender is an important variable through which males and females conceptualise love in Gĩkũyũ.