Ali Evbayiro

The aim of this study was to examine body part polysemy in Igbo with a view to understanding how linguistic and cultural meanings are extended across contexts. The objectives of the study were to identify commonly used body part terms in the Igbo language that exhibit polysemous behavior, analyze patterns of semantic extension, investigate linguistic and cultural factors influencing meaning shift, and examine how these terms function in proverbs, idioms, and everyday expressions. Despite its insightful findings, the study is limited to selected body part terms in central Igbo and focuses mainly on semantic analysis, without covering all dialects, linguistic levels, or extensive data sources. The study also compared the patterns observed in Igbo with those reported in other languages. Using Prototype Theory and Conceptual Metaphor and Metonymy Theory as its theoretical framework, data for the study were gathered from ten Igbo native speakers aged 25 to 65 years through informal interviews, supplemented by participant observation. The findings reveal that body part terms in Igbo extend beyond their literal meanings and are used in proverbs and idiomatic expressions to convey cultural values and worldviews. This shows the deep connection between language, thought, and culture in the Igbo linguistic system. The study recommends that future researchers explore body part polysemy across other Igbo dialects and expand the range of terms analyzed using larger data sources. The study concludes that body part polysemy