دانشگاه اصفهان فنون ادبی 20088027 17 2 2025 06 22 Looking Awry at Language: A Brief Overview of Paradox from the Perspective of Cognitive Linguistics Looking Awry at Language: A Brief Overview of Paradox from the Perspective of Cognitive Linguistics 45 56 29728 10.22108/liar.2025.144293.2438 FA Raziyeh Hojatizadeh Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran Journal Article 2025 02 08 The present study investigates paradox as a cognitive phenomenon within the framework of conceptual metaphor and metonymy, challenging its conventional classification as a rhetorical device. Focusing on Persian mystical literature, the research explores how paradox functions as a dynamic meaning-making mechanism in figurative language.<strong> </strong>The primary aim is to redefine paradox through cognitive linguistics, demonstrating its integration with metaphor (para-metaphor) and metonymy (para-metonymy) in restructuring perception. The study seeks to: 1) identify the cognitive models underlying paradox, 2) analyze its interaction with other conceptual processes, and 3) illustrate its role in non-linear thinking and knowledge organization.<strong> </strong>A descriptive-analytical approach is employed, with data purposively sampled from Persian literary texts. Theoretical frameworks include conceptual blending theory (Fauconnier & Turner, 2002) and Ruiz de Mendoza’s cognitive modeling, emphasizing high-level abstraction and mental space networks.<strong> </strong>Paradox emerges from metaphorical contradictions (e.g., "death is life") and metonymic expansions (e.g., "weeping with laughter"), resolving oppositions through conceptual blending. It operates as a matrix-like strategy, enabling reframing and emergent meanings. Persian mystical texts exemplify this capacity to transcend binary logic and evoke multilayered interpretations. The present study investigates paradox as a cognitive phenomenon within the framework of conceptual metaphor and metonymy, challenging its conventional classification as a rhetorical device. Focusing on Persian mystical literature, the research explores how paradox functions as a dynamic meaning-making mechanism in figurative language.<strong> </strong>The primary aim is to redefine paradox through cognitive linguistics, demonstrating its integration with metaphor (para-metaphor) and metonymy (para-metonymy) in restructuring perception. The study seeks to: 1) identify the cognitive models underlying paradox, 2) analyze its interaction with other conceptual processes, and 3) illustrate its role in non-linear thinking and knowledge organization.<strong> </strong>A descriptive-analytical approach is employed, with data purposively sampled from Persian literary texts. Theoretical frameworks include conceptual blending theory (Fauconnier & Turner, 2002) and Ruiz de Mendoza’s cognitive modeling, emphasizing high-level abstraction and mental space networks.<strong> </strong>Paradox emerges from metaphorical contradictions (e.g., "death is life") and metonymic expansions (e.g., "weeping with laughter"), resolving oppositions through conceptual blending. It operates as a matrix-like strategy, enabling reframing and emergent meanings. Persian mystical texts exemplify this capacity to transcend binary logic and evoke multilayered interpretations. https://liar.ui.ac.ir/article_29728_a6012289084645bb08be78132624b641.pdf