Evaluating the Imaginary Metaphor of Water in Azerbaijani Turkish Language

The study of metaphors through cognitive approach illustrates how much the human mental imaginations extends to abstract concepts. In this study, which has been conducted in the cultural linguistics framework, the process of categorization and imaginative schemas have been used to explain the metaphors of the water phenomenon in the Azerbaijani Turkish language. The research data were collected through interviews with 30 Turkish native speakers, as well as the use of books, poetry collections and dictionaries of this language in a very limited number. First, the semantic relationship of each of the words related to water was determined, then, to show the exact metaphorical meanings, the semantic categorization method and the presentation of an imaginary schema were used to determine the viewpoints of Azerbaijani Turkish speakers to the metaphors of water. The research findings show that the speakers of this language use water expressions metaphorically in their speech. There are ten metaphoric expressions of water with positive use and one with negative use that are used by native speakers in appropriate situations.