Abstract:
This dissertation aims to study cancer metaphors in Thai by integrating the conceptual metaphor analysis from cognitive area of linguistics with pragmatic analysis of metaphorical use by doctors and cancer patients. The purposes of this study are to find out conceptual metaphors about cancer, doctors and patients purposes in cancer discourses and relations between discourse purposes, conceptual metaphors of cancer, and metaphorical use. The conceptual metaphor analysis shows 9 conceptual metaphors from patients cancer discourses which are CANCER IS A GERM, CANCER IS A WEED, CANCER IS A BAD ANIMAL, CANCER IS A FRIEND, CANCER IS A DISASTER, CANCER IS AN ALIEN OBJECT, CANCER TREATMENT IS WAR, CANCER TREATMENT IS A JOURNEY, and CANCER TREATMENT IS A GAME. These conceptual metaphors are also found in doctors cancer discourses except CANCER IS A FRIEND, CANCER TREATMENT IS A JOURNEY, and CANCER TREATMENT IS A GAME. Pragmatic analysis shows that discourse purposes in doctors discourse are (1) providing knowledge about cancer and cancer treatment, (2) convincing people to prevent cancer and to have physical screening, as well as (3) comforting and encouraging patients. In addition, discourse purposes in patients discourses are (1) sharing their experience of cancer and cancer treatment, (2) expressing their feelings, and (3) comforting and encouraging other patients, their families and themselves. These purposes were conveyed through 4 types of speech acts; descriptive, directive, expressive and commissive. Results of the cognitive pragmatic analysis on the relation between discourse purposes and conceptual metaphors show that metaphorical uses depend on purposes and highlighting property of each conceptual metaphor, not on type of speech act used to convey their purposes. Doctors and patients, therefore, use all kinds of conceptual metaphors found in this research to describe nature of cancer and its treatment in relation to their highlighting property. Some conceptual metaphors, CANCER IS A FRIEND, CANCER TREATMENT IS WAR and CANCER TREATMENT IS A GAME are mainly used by doctors and patients to comfort and encourage others and themselves and to express their feelings