ABSTRACT
It is undeniable that there are numerous reasons for the growing popularity of
metaphors in business and economics, not only in linguistic world. However, the
previous researches is just conducted to have a general view about metaphor using in
economics so there has been little research on metaphorical terms themselves as a
target of the study. As an attempt to contribute to gaining more insights into
metaphorical term in finance and banking, this research aims to reveal much inside
metaphor in economics, from that, some suggestions would also be given. Finally, it
can be made step-by-step about the application and exploitation of other rhetorical
measures in economics terms in other branches of economics study.
These goals were achieved by a research using document observation and using
both qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Findings from the study show that similarities and difficulties of basic transferences
and source domains among English and Vietnamese metaphorical terms in finance and
banking. The study also suggests some aspects of metaphor for students to invest for
their further study.
Hopefully, students and researchers can use it as a helpful material for their
graduation thesis as well as their post-graduation thesis.
i
TABLE OF CONTENT
ABSTRACT i
TABLE OF FIGURES iv
CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 13
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 16
4.1. Basic transferences of metaphorical terms in finance and banking 16
4.1a. Types of basic transferences 16
4.1a.1. Position 16
4.1a.2. Movement 17
4.1a.3. Shape 17

Table 1: Basic transferences of Vietnamese metaphorical
terms in finance and banking 18
Table 2: Source domains of English and Vietnamese
metaphorical terms in finance and banking 31
iv
Table 3: Rate of equivalence and non-equivalence between
English-Vietnamese and Vietnamese-English metaphorical
terms in finance and banking 38
Table 4: Expression and no expression in non-equivalence
between English-Vietnamese and Vietnamese-English
metaphoric terms 40
v
vi
CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION
This first chapter will provide the rationale, the aims and objectives, the
organization and significance of the research. In addition, the research questions are
addressed to work as a guideline for the whole research.
1.1. Statement of the problem and the rationale for the study
Metaphor itself has drawn scholars’ attention for more than 2000 years.
Traditionally, scholars regarded it as a matter of language, a linguistic phenomenon
and defined it as a figure of speech in which an implicit comparison is made between
two unlike entities. Thousand years ago, Aristotle gives his definition of metaphor that
“Metaphor consists in giving the thing a name that belongs to something else; the
transference being either from genus to species, or from species to genus, or from
species to species, or on grounds of analogy.” Metaphor is the transference of meaning
from one object to another based on similarities between these two. It is used when the
author wants to hide his real attitude or opinion. Metaphor is a rhetorical device used
in literature; so many people assumed that metaphor belongs to matter of linguistics
for some artistic and rhetorical purpose, not sciences like economics. It is not true. The
truth is that the economy is complex so we have right to use metaphors to make it

the previous researches are just conducted to have a general view about metaphor
using in economics so there has been little research on metaphorical terms themselves
as a target of the study.
Therefore, as one attempt to examine this topic, the researcher has decided to
undertake a deep study on metaphors terms in a specific field of economics, especially
for finance and banking in English and Vietnamese as a helpful base for revealing
much inside metaphor in economics.
2
1.2. Aims and objectives of the study
The study aims at investing in factors used in metaphors for financial and banking
terms both in English and Vietnamese. Its main purpose is not only to study metaphor
for the terms under the general view but also to check theory in practical documents, in
other words, establish whether any universal or culture-specific aspects of this
metaphor may be found in the two languages. It is hoped to provide an account of the
use of metaphor as its importance in Business English, particularly in finance and
banking; improve learners’ specialized reading of business texts and help them
produce native-like discourse when they translate business texts.
Therefore, it may be beneficiary for ESP students in both economic and non-
economic universities. Besides, it is expected that the result of this research will also
be useful for economists and people interested in the same subject to learn, and study
further.
In long-term, if the result is positive, it is expected that with its helpful base for
revealing much inside metaphor in economics, it can be made step-by-step about the
application and exploitation of other rhetorical measures in economic terms in other
branches of economics study.
To achieve this goal, the current research is conducted to seek answers to the
following questions:
1. What are differences and similarities between basics of transferences used in
English and Vietnamese metaphorical terminology for finance and banking?
2. What are differences and similarities between source domains occurring in

• Chapter 5 (Conclusion) summarizes all problems discussed in the paper, the
limitations of the research, and some implications for ESP students and other
researchers in this field.
4
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1.Terminology
Cabré (1999) claimed that “terminology is closely linked to the special subject
fields”. Terminology is the language used to describe a specific thing, or the language
used within a specific field. Namely, it is defined by The Online Dictionary of
Language Terminology as:
 The doctrine of terms; a theory of terms or appellations; a treatise on terms.
 The terms actually used in any business, art, science, or the like; nomenclature;
technical terms; as, the terminology of chemistry.
Besides, terminology also denotes a more formal discipline which systematically
studies the labeling or designating of concepts particular to one or more subject fields
or domains of human activity, through research and analysis of terms in context, for
the purpose of documenting and promoting correct usage. This study can be limited to
one language or can cover more than one language at the same time (multilingual
terminology, bilingual terminology, and so forth).
A distinction is made between two types of terminology:
 Ad hoc terminology, which deals with a single term or a limited number of
terms
 Systematic terminology, which deals with all the terms in a specific subject
field or domain of activity
2.2.Terminology in finance and banking
Obviously, the terminology is words specializing in finance and banking. Finance
itself is the study of how investors allocate their assets over time under conditions of
certainty and uncertainty. A key point in finance, which affects decisions, is the time
value of money, which states that a unit of currency today is worth more than the same
unit of currency tomorrow. Finance aims to price assets based on their risk level, and

Nguyễn Hòa (2003:p35) comes to conclude simply metaphor as “the transference
of meaning (name) from one object to another based on similarity between these two
6
objects.” Therefore, metaphor is usually used to compare two unlike things, which its
result improves our understanding.
Here is an example mentioned in “Metaphors We Live By” (1980:p46):
“…What he said left a bad taste in my mouth.
All this paper has in it are raw facts, half - baked ideas, and warm theories .
There are too many facts here for me to digest them all.
I just can’t swallow that claim.
That argument smells fishy.
Let me stew over that for a while.
Now there’s a theory you can really sink your teeth into.
We need to let that idea percolate for a while.
That’s food for thought.
He’s a voracious reader.
We don’t need to spoon feed our students.
…”
2.3.2. Conceptualist view of metaphor
Unlike many traditional approaches to metaphor, where it is usually restricted to
rhetoric and literature, according to “the Conceptual Metaphor Theory” as initiated by
Lakoff and Johnson (1980), used as a theoretical framework for our analysis, metaphor
is a basic and indispensable feature of human understanding. Conceptual metaphors
are a matter of thought, not of language only, although they are predominantly realized
linguistically. The proponents of “the Conceptual Metaphor Theory” make a clear-cut
distinction between conceptual metaphor, on the one hand, and linguistic metaphor, on
the other. Conceptual metaphor refers to a systematic mapping between two
conceptual domains, the source domain and the target domain, and it “typically
employ[s] a more abstract concept as target and a more concrete or physical concept
as [its] source.” (Kövecses, 2002: p6).

Picture 2: Example of domain used in metaphor
FOX CUNNING
PERSON
FOX
2.3.3. Basis Transference of metaphor
According to Prof. Nguyen Hoa, he divides into these following main transferences.
,
2.3.3.1. Similarity of shape
The hidden comparison is based on the similarity of appearance between parts of
human body and things
E.g. the mouth of the tunnel, the nose of an aircraft
Literally “mouth” refers to the opening through which an animal or human takes in
food. The shape of the mouth is like that of the tunnel because of the openness and
being round and small. Likewise, “nose” refers to the part on the face above the mouth
that helps us breathe and smell. Generally the noses on our faces are the parts that first
touch other things when we place noses close to them. The nose of an aircraft is also
the first part to contact an object.
2.3.3.2. Similarity of position
The names of human body’s parts are also transferred to other objects based on their
similarities of position
E.g. the foot of a hill/mountain/hill/slope/cliff
9
“Foot” is the terminal part of our body and connects our body with the base when
we stand. “Foot” is also the lowest part, or bottom, of anything, as of a hill, ladder,
page, etc. The similarity of position enables the transference of meaning.
2.3.3.3. Similarity of movement
E.g. She worm her way through the crowd
The movement of “she” and “worm” is similar. Therefore the word “worm” is
employed to describe the action in a concrete way.
2.3.3.4. Similarity of function

transferences.
2.3.4. Metaphor in finance and banking
Kövecses states (2002, p22) that "[e]conomy is usually comprehended via
metaphor." Its most commonly used source domains include BUILDING ,
MACHINES, PLANTS , JOURNEY (MOVEMENT, DIRECTION ), ANIMAL
BEHAVIOUR, HUMAN BODY, etc. while according to Boers (2000) typical
metaphorical themes in economics are: MECHANISMS and MACHINES,
ANIMALS, PLANTS and GARDENING, HEALTH and FITNESS, FIGHTING and
WARFARE, SHIPS and SAILING, and SPORTS.
It is wide to use the metaphorical meanings of word denoting parts of human body,
i.e. the names of the parts of human body are transferred to other objects. “Circulation
of money/ capital” is similar to circulation of blood in human body among organs). As
we all know, one interesting idea in language use is that the human being, first of all,
got to know their own body and gave names to its parts. Later in the process of
cognition of the world, they began comparing the surrounding objects with their own
body and finding common features. That is why parts of body are used as metaphors.
There are also many metaphorical expressions based on names of animals (“bull
market, bear market”) and other source domains (sport, water, war, etc.)
11
With an attractive title, “Animal Metaphors In Some Business-Related Terms In
English,” Nadežda R. Silaški’s research (2012) approached interestingly ANIMAL
metaphors, and also reached a conclusion that English and Serbian seem to frequently
(though not always) share the same cognitive and cultural models. Similarly, he is also
author of “The Money Is a Liquid Metaphor in Economic Terminology – A Contrastive
Analysis Of English, Serbian And Romanian”(2011), “The Conceptualization Of The
Global Financial Crisis Via The Economy Is A Person Metaphor – A Contrastive
Study of English and Serbian”(2010) conducted by Nadežda Silaški, Tatjana Đurović
analyzed carefully sub-metaphors of Person metaphor – source domain is Human.
However, those researches just stopped at studying in comparisons between English
and their mother tongue languages like Romanian and Serbian and the researcher

TV is also another trustworthy reference. Besides, online newspapers and magazines
are other suggested sources to exploit.
3.1.2. Sampling Size
As be seen from previous researches, the number of references is limited, average
from 5 to 10 different types of newspapers and magazines in English and Vietnamese
from 5 to 10 different types of newspaper and magazines in, so the number of
reference inside this paper can be up to 25 for each language. Besides, the data will
become various when the researcher employs many sources from not only newspapers
and magazines but also online, visual and auditory facilities. Also, to come in various
types, the researcher also uses the book specializing economics study for ESP students.
And the researcher uses the book “English for Finance and Banking” written by
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thom, the Head of ESP Division (English for
13
Specific Purposes Division) in University of Languages and International Studies,
Vietnam National University.
3.1.3. Sampling Strategy
Using random sampling protects against bias being introduced in the sampling
process, and hence, it helps in obtaining a representative sample. The researcher
chooses a simple random sample by assigning a number to every member of the
population (population consists of articles in newspapers, magazines or channels).
Absent knowledge about the factors for stratification for a population, a random
sample is the first useful step in obtaining samples.
3.2.Data collection
Instrument: The observation of documents
The target of studying in this paper is economic terms for finance and banking, so
after collecting the whole trustworthy and outstanding sources (newspapers,
magazines, television channels, radio channels specializing economics), the researcher
will find and select all the terms using metaphors in these sources. Namely, researcher
uses a wide range of written or text-based documents and artifacts (textbooks, novels,
journals, meeting minutes, logs, announcement, policy statement, newspapers,

researcher’s highlight statements in some appropriate ways.
Namely, the researcher has to find the differences and similarities between
Vietnamese and English metaphors in selecting source domain and transference of
metaphor.
 STEP 3: Giving the last conclusion to answer research questions.
 STEP 4: Findings can be illustrated by graphs, etc.
15
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND
DISCUSSION
In this chapter, the discussion and findings of the study will be presented. This
includes compare and contrast using basic transferences and source domains in
English and Vietnamese metaphorical terms in finance and banking.
4.1. Basic transferences of metaphorical terms in finance and banking
4.1a. Types of basic transferences
4.1a.1. Position
In Vietnamese metaphorical terms, there are 5 words using POSITION as basic
transferences. They are “giá trần,” “sàn giao dịch,” “vách đá tài khóa,” “tiền gốc,”
“ngân hàng ngầm.” They base on position of ceiling, floor of a house, root (“gốc”) of
a plant, ground wave (sóng ngầm).
In English metaphorical terms, there are 5 words using POSTIONS, too. They are
“ceiling price,” “face value,” "principal,” “exchange floor,” “z-score.”
They base on position of ceiling, floor of a house, outside side of face, the last
position of letter “Z” in alphabet, first position of headmaster to transfer into new
meanings in finance and banking.
E.g. Fiscal cliff (vách đá tài khóa)
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock
exposure. A combination of expiring tax cuts and across-the-board government
spending cuts scheduled to become effective Dec. 31, 2012. The idea behind the fiscal
cliff was that if the federal government allowed these two events to proceed as
planned, they would have a detrimental effect on an already shaky economy, perhaps

Regarding to English terms, there are 35/118 terms using FUNCTION as basic
transference while Vietnamese ones has 34/88. Clearly, the number of using this
similarity in Vietnamese is more than in English.
E.g. “cuộc đại phẫu,”(a large-scale change requiring reforming all aspects) “đòn
bẩy tài chính,”(lifting as leverage)“lớp đệm ngân hàng,” (protection as mattress) in
Vietnamese, “backdoor fancing,”(unofficial money supply like going backdoor) “the
cleaning house for share,” (completing all transaction as “cleaning house”) “dead
debt” (debt no longer payable as “dead”).
4.1a.6. Color
There are 3 English words and 4 Vietnamese words using this basic transference so
Vietnamese terms tend to COLOR more than English.
E.g. thị trường xám, chợ đen, nợ trắng, shadow banking, grey market, black market
4.1a.7. Sound
Only in Vietnamese term, there is one word using SOUND as basic transference. It
is “chugging.” “Chugging” is itself sound of a machine operating slowly but
continuously. Used this word for economy, it means that the economy is developing
gradually but positively.
4.1a.8. Characteristic
While Vietnamese terms just include one term “ngáo ộp nợ công” using
CHARACTERISTIC as basic transference, English terms have up to 11 terms like
that.
Table 1: Basic transferences of Vietnamese metaphorical terms in finance and
banking
18
Metaphorical
terms
BASIC TRANSFERENCES
Positio
n
Shape Size Sound Color Function Movement