Anger in Italian: “I’m inflated by anger”

Gola Elisabetta;Federici Stefano

2024-01-01

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Abstract

The chapter examines how the Italian language expresses and conceptualizes the emotion of anger. Drawing on corpus-based analyses and lexical tools such as Italian WordNet, the authors identify recurring metaphors and metonymies that shape the linguistic representation of anger. Metaphors like fire, dangerous animals, or pressurized substances highlight the intensity, volatility, and uncontrollable nature of anger, while metonymies reflect physical manifestations, such as aggressive behavior or physiological changes. The study demonstrates how Italian idiomatic expressions map anger to tangible experiences, offering insight into cultural perceptions of emotions. By emphasizing the role of metaphorical thinking, the authors reveal how language influences both the articulation and social understanding of emotional states. This research enriches the broader discourse on the interplay between language, culture, and emotional cognition.