Cognitive Element of Surprise Encoded within the Linguistic Structure of Indonesian Proverbs
This study explores the nuances of Indonesian proverbs, explicitly examining the role of surprise as a cognitive element within these linguistic expressions. Utilizing a cognitive semantics analysis framework, this study investigates the extent to which surprise is intertwined with Indonesian proverbs and how it impacts the recipients’ cognitive processes. A corpus of Indonesian proverbs has been analyzed through qualitative methodology, focusing on the linguistic and contextual cues that evoke surprise-related mental operations. The findings show that (1) Indonesian proverbs utilized a blend of surprising contrasts, shifts in viewpoint, figurative language, and linguistic ambivalence to express surprise, (2) Indonesian proverbs have the remarkable ability to captivate the minds of their recipients by stimulating their cognitive processes through schema restructuring, inferential reasoning, and affective engagement, and (3) cultural schemas, frame activations, and cross-cultural variations influenced the diverse meanings assigned to linguistic expressions of Indonesian proverbs. These findings not only enhance our understanding of the role of surprise in shaping the meaning of these proverbs but also contribute to our comprehension of how cultural and cognitive factors intersect within linguistic communication. This study has the potential to deepen our knowledge of the cognitive mechanisms that underlie figurative language and cross-cultural communication while advancing theoretical and empirical aspects of cognitive semantics analysis.
Keywords: cognitive elements, Indonesian proverbs, linguistic structure, metaphors, surprise.
