THE CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR “HANDICRAFT TRADES ARE HUMAN BEINGS” IN VIETNAMESE NEWSPAPER DISCOURSE

This article investigates the conceptual metaphor model “HANDICRAFTS ARE HUMAN BEINGS” on the basis of conceptual metaphor theory and embodiment theory. The corpus comprises 30 Vietnamese newspaper articles (2019–2026). Through examination, synthesis, and analysis, the study identifies 93 metaphorical expressions, 37 metaphorical vehicles, and 117 occurrences. The attributes of the source domain HUMAN BEINGS comprise human worth, human life, the structure of the physical human body, human behavior and states, and awareness of preserving family relationships. These attributes map onto the target domain HANDICRAFTS, whose corresponding attributes are the value of handicraft trades, the existence of handicraft trades, the structure of handicraft products, the state of production activities in handicraft trades, and awareness of transmitting handicraft trades. The findings show that, within this conceptual metaphor model, handicraft trades are construed as a “living being” possessing vitality, a soul, and intergenerational continuity. This reflects a way of thinking that values affective bonds, emphasizes community and village cohesion, and upholds traditional cultural values rooted in the wet-rice agricultural culture of the Vietnamese people.