Between "analogy" and "definition" : the denotation of TCM terminology of etiology and pathogenesis in traditional Chinese medicine.

The denotation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) terminology is one of the core issues in TCM theoretical studies. Fundamentally, it is about the relationship between "term and matter". Studying TCM terminology is of significant importance as the denotation of TCM terminology tends to change between "analogy" and "definition". The denotation could refer to the "definition" in some cases and "analogy" in others, causing confusion and inconsistency. This paper takes terminology of TCM etiology and pathogenesis as examples to analyze the different forms of "definition" and "analogy" of TCM etiology and pathogenesis, then analyzes the transition mechanism of cognition from "definition" to "analogy" and from "analogy" to "definition" based on the similarity of metaphor. After analyzing the rationale of "definition" and "analogy" in the terminology, it is concluded that TCM has no independent system of language and adopts single-focus presentation of metaphorical cognition. These two features explain the underlying rationale. This paper also analyzes whether wind and cold or bacteria and virus are the etiologies of exogenous disease. It is stated that the etiologies should be "something like wind", "something like cold" and "something like damp" and expounds the significant of studying TCM language from the perspective of metaphorical cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]