MENTAL MODELS OF "TIME" IN DIFFERENT ENGLISH DIALECTS: A COGNITIVE LINGUISTIC COMPARISON

Abstract

Time is a universal yet abstract concept whose conceptualization is shaped by language, cognition, culture, and social experience. This study examines the mental models of time in British English, American English, Australian English, and South Asian English from a cognitive linguistic perspective. Drawing on Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Johnson-Laird’s Mental Model Theory, the study employs a qualitative comparative approach to analyze temporal expressions, conceptual metaphors, and discourse patterns drawn from linguistic corpora and documented sources. The findings reveal both shared and dialect-specific patterns of temporal conceptualization. Across the four varieties, recurring metaphors include TIME IS MOTION, TIME IS A RESOURCE, TIME IS A CONTAINER, TIME IS A PATH, and TIME IS A SOCIAL PROCESS. However, British English predominantly conceptualizes time as structured and measurable; American English emphasizes time as a valuable resource associated with productivity and efficiency; Australian English reflects greater flexibility and informality; while South Asian English represents time as socially embedded, relational, and context-dependent. The study demonstrates that although speakers of different English varieties share common metaphorical foundations, cultural values, social practices, and communicative norms contribute to distinct mental models of time. The findings contribute to cognitive linguistics, sociolinguistics, and intercultural communication by demonstrating how dialectal variation within a single global language can reflect diverse relationships between language, thought, and culture.