| 摘要: | 摘 要
本研究以「客家植物諺語」為核心，從語言學、文化學與修辭學三面向探討其結構特徵、文化意涵與隱喻機制。諺語作為濃縮生活智慧的語言，承載客家族群世代累積的農耕知識、倫理觀與人生哲理；其中以植物為核心意象者，更能反映客家社會與自然環境、社會秩序及價值體系的互動關係。
研究動機源於對客家語言文化儲存與傳承的關注，並認識到植物諺語不僅是農業經驗的結晶，也是族群象徵與價值觀的載體。本研究採文獻分析、田野調查與語料庫分析三法，蒐集並整理496則客家植物諺語，依語義與文化功能分類，建立系統性研究基礎。
理論上，採用 Lakoff 與 Johnson（1980）的「概念隱喻理論」及 Lakoff 與 Turner（1989）的「詩意隱喻理論」解析隱喻投射機制。理論指出，人類理解抽象概念時，常以具體經驗為來源網域（Source Domain），經跨網域映射轉化為目標域（Target Domain）。在客家植物諺語中，植物的形態、生長週期與用途屬性，常用以隱喻人的性格、社會關係、倫理秩序與生命歷程。
分類結果分為四類：（一）用途特性類：涵蓋食用、藥用、工業與環境用途，反映資源利用智慧；（二）生活智慧與人生哲理類：以植物隱喻人生態度、處世原則與倫理規範；（三）大自然時序類：依氣候與農事週期傳遞農耕經驗；（四）師傅話／歇後語類：以幽默、誇飾與機鋒傳達哲理或勸誡。
研究發現，客家植物諺語的隱喻結構集中於「人－自然對應」模式，尤以「人是植物」的擬人化映射最為常見，並呈現五特質：（一）自然擬人化；（二）對比結構鮮明；（三）雙層意涵；（四）倫理秩序投射；（五）文化敘事承載。
文化意涵顯示，這些諺語體現天人合一、勤儉務實、重倫理秩序與互助合作等核心價值，並具教育、勸戒、批判與情感抒發功能，既是文化傳承的重要媒介，也是生命教育與語言教學的資源。建議未來透過跨媒介轉譯、數位典藏與創意應用，推動客家植物諺語的永續傳承與文化再生。
關鍵詞：客家、植物諺語、概念隱喻、語言與文化
;Abstract
This study focuses on Hakka plant proverbs, examining their structural features, cultural implications, and metaphorical mechanisms from the perspectives of linguistics, cultural studies, and rhetoric. As a condensed linguistic form of life wisdom, proverbs embody the Hakka people’s accumulated agricultural knowledge, moral concepts, and life philosophies. Those centered on plant imagery, in particular, vividly reflect the interaction between Hakka society, the natural environment, social order, and value systems.
The motivation for this research arises from a dedication to preserving and transmitting Hakka language and culture, recognizing that plant proverbs are not only the crystallization of agricultural experience but also carriers of symbolic systems and communal values. Adopting a literature review, field investigation, and corpus analysis, the study collected and organized 496 Hakka plant proverbs, classifying them according to their semantic features and cultural functions to establish a systematic research foundation.
The theoretical framework draws on Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Lakoff and Turner’s (1989) Poetic Metaphor Theory to analyze metaphorical projection mechanisms. These theories posit that human understanding of abstract concepts often relies on concrete experiences as source domains, which are then mapped onto target domains through cross-domain correspondences. In Hakka plant proverbs, plant morphology, growth cycles, and utilitarian attributes are frequently used to metaphorically represent human character, social relations, ethical order, and the life course.
The classification yields four categories: (1) Utilitarian Attributes – encompassing food, medicinal, industrial, and environmental uses, reflecting wisdom in resource utilization; (2) Life Wisdom and Philosophical Principles – using plant metaphors to express life attitudes, conduct principles, and moral norms; (3) Natural and Seasonal Cycles – transmitting agricultural knowledge through climate and farming cycles; and (4) Masters’ Sayings / Two-Part Allegorical Sayings (xiehouyu) – employing humor, exaggeration, and wit to convey philosophical lessons or warnings.
Findings show that the metaphorical structure of Hakka plant proverbs centers on a “human–nature correspondence” model, with “humans as plants” personification being the most prevalent. Five common features emerge: (1) natural personification; (2) marked contrasts; (3) dual-level meanings; (4) projection of ethical order; and (5) cultural narrative bearing capacity.
Culturally, these proverbs embody core values such as harmony between humans and nature, frugality and pragmatism, respect for ethical order, and mutual cooperation. They serve educational, admonitory, critical, and expressive functions, acting as vital media for cultural transmission and valuable resources for life education and language teaching. The study recommends promoting sustainable transmission and cultural revitalization through cross-media adaptation, digital archiving, and creative applications.
Keywords: Hakka, plant proverbs, conceptual metaphor, language and culture |
