[Lexicog] Re: Figurative expressions for "courage" in different language

[Fritz Goerling]

 From Fritz Goerling to Peter Kirk

One Azerbaijani expression for "coward" also means "lung". Well, perhaps
not quite. The word "ciyer" can mean either "lung" or "liver", and they
are distinguished if necessary as white ciyer = lung, black ciyer =
liver. But white-ciyer as one word (aghciyer)  means "coward" - but a
better literal rendering would probably be "white-livered". And this can
actually be used in English as well, although more common but with the
same basic meaning is "lily-livered".

    Good example.

A common figurative expression for "courage" in many languages
corresponds to "manliness",

   Can you give examples? I would assume a  woman can be as courageous.

 whereas "woman", used of a man, implies
cowardice.

   Not just that.
   Here is an interesting example. The founder of a Christian
   organization (whose name I do not need to mention here) challenged
   soldiers on the battle-field by calling them "cowards", and by praising
the
   courageous women on the mission field. He himself left the theatre of war
   and became an ambassador of love.

Peter Kirk
peter at qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk at qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/



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