Cognitive and Semantic Characteristics of Somatic Phraseology in the Spanish Language

Abstract

This article examines somatic phraseology in the Spanish language from a cognitive and semantic perspective, focusing on how body-related lexical components function as key conceptual tools in the construction of idiomatic meaning. Somatisms, understood as phraseological units containing names of body parts, represent one of the most productive and cognitively motivated domains of Spanish phraseology. The study explores the role of embodied cognition, conceptual metaphors, image schemas, and cultural models in shaping the semantics of somatic idioms. Particular attention is paid to how body parts such as cabeza, mano, ojo, corazón, and lengua participate in metaphorical mappings that structure abstract domains including emotion, intellect, morality, social relations, and communicative behavior. The analysis demonstrates that Spanish somatic phraseology reflects universal cognitive mechanisms while simultaneously encoding culture-specific patterns of conceptualization.