Javanese Plant Metaphors for Ritual Offerings

The production of utterances involves cognitive, physiological, and physical processes. This research focuses on the cognitive aspect, specifically the mental mechanisms underlying the creation of metaphorical terms associated with Javanese plants used in ritual offerings. The study aims to shed light on how metaphorical expressions in the traditional Javanese language emerge. The data, comprising metaphorical terms related to ritual plants, were purposively selected from Javanese lexical sources. The research employs observation and intuition as primary approaches, with analytical methods including matching, distributional, and reflective-introspective techniques. The findings reveal that the generation of metaphorical expressions relies heavily on cognitive association processes, linking the source domain (e.g. plant characteristics or functions) with the target domain (cultural or spiritual concepts). This association demonstrates how metaphor functions as a cognitive tool to conceptualise abstract ideas through tangible elements within Javanese cultural practices. Ultimately, the study illuminates how cultural cognition is reflected in linguistic expressions, particularly in the symbolic use of plants in ritual contexts.