The ‘face’ is the most identifiable feature of the human body, yet the way it is entrenched in language and cognition has not previously been explored cross-linguistically. This comparative volume continues the series on embodied cognition and conceptualization with a focus on the human ‘face’. Each contribution to this volume presents descriptions and analyses of how languages name the ‘face’ and utilize metonymy, metaphor, and polysemy to extend the ‘face’ to overlapping target domains. The contributions include primary and secondary data representing languages originating from around the world. The chapters represent multiple theoretical approaches to describing linguistic embodiment, including cultural, historical, descriptive, and cognitive frameworks. The findings from this diverse set of theoretical approaches and languages contribute to general research in cognitive linguistics, cultural linguistics, and onomastics.

The ‘face’ is the most identifiable feature of the human body, yet the way it is entrenched in language and cognition has not previously been explored cross-linguistically. This comparative volume continues the series on embodied cognition and conceptualization with a focus on the human ‘face’. Each contribution to this volume presents descriptions and analyses of how languages name the ‘face’ and utilize metonymy, metaphor, and polysemy to extend the ‘face’ to overlapping target domains. The contributions include primary and secondary data representing languages originating from around the world. The chapters represent multiple theoretical approaches to describing linguistic embodiment, including cultural, historical, descriptive, and cognitive frameworks. The findings from this diverse set of theoretical approaches and languages contribute to general research in cognitive linguistics, cultural linguistics, and onomastics.