Cambridge Scholars Publishing Vision beyond Visual Perception

Vision is crucial for the survival of all animals. However, as this book shows, its importance does not simply lie in visual perception, but is, rather, deeply rooted in human physiology, psychology and culture. For instance, conceptual metaphors often involve vision, such as “Seeing is Touching” and “Eyes are Limbs”, among others. However, this Anglo-centric linguistic view belies the fact that vision is not a universally-preferred source for metaphor, and less studied languages spoken in the four corners of the world can present cases that are unfamiliar to those who are only acquainted with Indo-European languages and cultures. In fact, other types of perception such as hearing are often preferred as a source of comprehension in a number of languages. This volume studies various issues concerning vision both synchronically and diachronically. Its discussion involves specialists from different disciplines, ranging from cognitive science to literary scholarship. It also covers a wide range of geographical regions, such as Africa and Asia. As such, this volume will serve to shed light on the integration of disciplines concerning vision. About the Author Junichi Toyota is an Associate Professor at Osaka City University, Japan. His research interests cover a wide range of disciplines, including linguistics, anthropology and cognitive science. He has published several monographs and numerous articles on historical linguistics and cognitive linguistics. Ian Richards is an Associate Professor in the Department of English and American Language and Literature at Osaka City University, Japan. His research interests lie in the field of post-colonial studies, and he has published several books and papers on New Zealand literature. Borko Kovačević is an Associate Professor in the Department of General Linguistics at the University of Belgrade, Serbia. His research interests cover a wide range of linguistic disciplines, including typology, morphology, syntax and sociolinguistics, and he has published numerous articles in these fields. Marina Shchepetunina is a Lecturer at Osaka University, Japan. She works within the field of cultural anthropology, and her research interests are mainly concerned with mythology and gender studies. Her publications include two manuscripts, Kojiki and Nihon shoki, as well as several journal articles.