Onomasiology in the Romance Languages

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esme Winter-Froemel
Keyword(s):  
Language Contact ◽  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Lexical Semantics ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Cognitive Semantics ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
Meaning Change ◽  
Semiotic Perspective ◽  
Basic Approaches

Onomasiology represents an approach in semantics that takes the perspective from content to form and investigates the ways in which referents or concepts are designated in particular languages. In this way, onomasiology can be seen as being complementary to semasiology, which takes the opposite perspective and focuses on form-content relations. From a semiotic perspective, the two perspectives can be more clearly defined and delimited from each other by specifying the basic semiotic entities that represent the key reference points for onomasiological and semasiological investigations, respectively. Previous research has highlighted the contribution of both to a comprehensive understanding of lexical semantics. In this respect, the distinction between meaning change and change of designation appears to be of key importance for the domain of lexical innovation and change. In the history of Romance linguistics, onomasiological perspectives were included in early etymological studies (e.g., Diez, Salvioni, Tappolet, Merlo), and the term “onomasiology” was introduced by Zauner. The research on “Wörter and Sachen” (words and objects), and the research focus on lexical fields then took an explicit focus on onomasiological research questions, with linguistic geography established as a specific subdomain of linguistic research. The linguistic maps and atlases elaborated in this context provided important resources for multiple applications and theoretical discussions of synchronic and diachronic issues of Romance linguistics. In addition, various onomasiological case studies on particular concepts and conceptual domains were conducted, and onomasiological dictionaries elaborated. Moreover, linguistic typology has aimed to identify universal patterns of conceptualization and strategies of designation. With the rise of cognitive semantics, the synchronic relevance of onomasiology has been reinvigorated, as many basic approaches and concepts developed in this framework are inherently based on an onomasiological perspective. Bringing together typological considerations and cognitive semantics, and linking these approaches to the achievements of the prestructuralist and structuralist traditions, diachronic cognitive onomasiology opens up multiple perspectives for further research in lexical semantics. Finally, the potential of onomasiological investigations has also gained interest in language contact research, where issues of borrowability as well as semantic and pragmatic patterns of linguistic borrowing have been studied. A broad range of further research perspectives arises from the focus on the language users and their communicative intentions, these perspectives being strongly linked to the usage-based turn in cognitive linguistics as well as to investigations at the semantics-pragmatics interface.

‘[T]his world is now thy pilgrimage’: William Michael Rossetti's Cognitive Maps of France and Italy

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-99
Author(s):  
Eleonora Sasso
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Venice Lagoon ◽  
Cognitive Map ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
Mental Picture ◽  
Historical Figures ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Cognitive Semantic ◽  
St Helena

This paper takes as its starting point the conceptual metaphor ‘life is a journey’ as defined by Lakoff and Johnson (1980) in order to advance a new reading of William Michael Rossetti's Democratic Sonnets (1907). These political verses may be defined as cognitive-semantic poems, which attest to the centrality of travel in the creation of literary and artistic meaning. Rossetti's Democratic Sonnets is not only a political manifesto against tyranny and oppression, promoting the struggle for liberalism and democracy as embodied by historical figures such as Napoleon, Mazzini, Cavour, and Garibaldi; but it also reproduces Rossetti's real and imagined journeys throughout Europe in the late nineteenth century. This essay examines these references in light of the issues they raise, especially the poet as a traveller and the journey metaphor in poetry. But its central purpose is to re-read Democratic Sonnets as a cognitive map of Rossetti's mental picture of France and Italy. A cognitive map, first theorised by Edward Tolman in the 1940s, is a very personal representation of the environment that we all experience, serving to navigate unfamiliar territory, give direction, and recall information. In terms of cognitive linguistics, Rossetti is a figure whose path is determined by French and Italian landmarks (Paris, the island of St. Helena, the Alps, the Venice Lagoon, Mount Vesuvius, and so forth), which function as reference points for orientation and are tied to the historical events of the Italian Risorgimento. Through his sonnets, Rossetti attempts to build into his work the kind of poetic revolution and sense of history which may only be achieved through encounters with other cultures.

من الاشتراك الدلالي إلى تغير المعنى

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
saber lahbacha
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Pragmatic Approach ◽  
Cognitive Approach ◽  
Meaning Change ◽  
Language And Literature ◽  
Lexical Concepts

From polysemy to meaning change: lexical cognitive perspectivesSaber Lahbacha By:PhD. Arabic language and Literature, University of Manouba, Member of association of Arabic lexicology in TunisAbstract:Many essays to find a model to study polysemy in most words emerged in several semantic, lexical, cognitive and pragmatic perspectives. Diverse dimensions of this phenomenon are activated according to the requirements of each discipline. If the lexical treatment gives priority to distinguish between polysemy (one entry) and homonymy (many entries), the pragmatic approach includes the contextual non-linguistic operators in building polysemy. The cognitive approach considers that lexical concepts are sets of semantic complicated nuances built on polysemy. This cognitive approach considers that there is no way to distinguish between meanings and the boundaries between them are ambiguous.Key words: Semantics – Polysemy – cognitive linguistics – lexicology – homonymy. ملخصلم تنقطع محاولات إيجاد منوال لمقاربة الاشتراك الدلالي (تعدّد المعاني) في معظم الكلمات عن البروز ضمن منظورات دلالية ومعجمية وعرفانية وتداولية متعددة. وبحسب مقتضيات كلّ فرع لساني، يجري تنشيط الأبعاد المختلفة للظاهرة ويتم التركيز على مناحٍ دون أخرى. فإذا كانت المعالجة المعجمية تضع أولوية اهتمامها في توضيح التمييز بين الاشتراك الدلالي (مدخل واحد) والاشتراك اللفظي (مداخل متعددة)، فإن المقاربة التداولية تؤصل مشاركة العوامل السياقية غير اللغوية في تأسيس الاشتراك الدلالي. أما المقاربة العرفانية فترى أن المفاهيم المعجمية هي مجموعات من الفروق الدلالية المتراكبة التي تقوم على الاشتراك الدلالي ولا ترى أن التمييز بين المعاني ممكن بل إن الحدود بين المفاهيم المعجمية ضبابية.الكلمات المفاتيح: علم الدلالة - الاشتراك الدلالي – اللسانيات العرفانية – المعجمية - الاشتراك اللفظي.

Zur Entstehung und Entwicklung des begriffes „Konzept“ in der kognitiven Semantik

2021 ◽  
pp. 251-259
Author(s):  
Nedas Jurgaitis ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Word Meaning ◽  
Cognitive Semantics ◽  
Subjective Perception ◽  
Scientific Discussion ◽  
European Languages ◽  
The One ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Linguistic Units

The present article deals with the genesis of the notion “concept” in German cognitive semantics. The aim of the study is to present the origin and development of the notion “concept” from a diachronic perspective. The genesis of the notion “concept” in linguistics, particularly cognitive semantics, is an object of discussion. It reveals a connection between ancient ideas about word meaning and trends in modern linguistics. The roots of the notion can be traced back to ancient Greek philosophy – the concept debuts as a primal notion of mental experiences in Aristotle’s writings. However, the controversial translation of ancient works leaves room for scientific discussion regarding the prototype of the notion. In the Middle Ages, the word concept originated in European languages from Latin, later establishing itself in scientific discourse through the influence of Neo-Scholasticism, Frege’s conception of logic and the semiotic triangle, as well as the principle of the arbitrariness of linguistic signs. Finally, the notion concept gains importance in the transition from objective to the subjective perception of the meaning of linguistic units (the shift from structuralism to cognitivism) and becomes under the influence of cognitive psychology, the central term in cognitive linguistics in the 1970s and 1980s. The unconventional use of the notion in linguistic studies, on the one hand, makes meta-analyses of the semantics of certain concepts more difficult; on the other hand, it favours disciplinary and methodological diversity in today’s linguistic research.

scholarly journals PECULIARITIES OF ENGLISH FAIRY TALE SEMANTIC STRUCTURE

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (16) ◽  
pp. 137-143
Author(s):  
N. F. Yeremeieva
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Representation ◽  
Fairy Tale ◽  
Conceptual Analysis ◽  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Mental Representations ◽  
Cognitive Semantics ◽  
Semantic Structure ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Psychological Space ◽  
Conceptual Space

The article deals with semantics of English folk fairytales. Conceptual analysis is considered to be a new approach to the learning of folk fairytales. This analysis is performed in terms of cognitive linguistics which deals with structures of knowledge representation, which form language signs and speech patterns. The purpose of the investigation is to identify the patterns of structuring of mental representations which form conceptual (psychological) space of folk fairytale texts. They are considered to be the main prerequisite for both the folk fairytale formation and its understanding. While investigating the folk fairytale texts we have used the frame approach for modeling the conceptual space of a folk fairytale as a sign which is characterized by certain semantics .Our investigation develops Propp’s ideas and is connected with conceptual (cognitive) semantics Nowadays formal apparatus for modeling verbalized knowledge is developed within this field of science.

A view from cognitive linguistics

1999 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 625-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald W. Langacker
Keyword(s):  
Visual Perception ◽  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Conceptual Structure ◽  
Cognitive Semantics ◽  
Conceptual Content ◽  
Linguistic Structure ◽  
Central Tenet ◽  
Basic Ideas ◽  
General Architecture

Barsalou's contribution converges with basic ideas and empirical findings of cognitive linguistics. They posit the same general architecture. The perceptual grounding of conceptual structure is a central tenet of cognitive linguistics. Our capacity to construe the same situation in alternate ways is fundamental to cognitive semantics, and numerous parallels are discernible between conceptual construal and visual perception. Grammar is meaningful, consisting of schematized patterns for the pairing of semantic and phonological structures. The meanings of grammatical elements reside primarily in the construal they impose on conceptual content. This view of linguistic structure appears to be compatible with Barsalou's proposals.

scholarly journals A Multimodal View of Late Medieval Rhetoric: The Case of the White Rose of York

2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-145
Author(s):  
Marcin Kudła
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Dynamic Theory ◽  
Stained Glass ◽  
Medieval Rhetoric ◽  
15Th Century ◽  
Integral Element ◽  
White Rose ◽  
Semiotic Perspective ◽  
The Rose

AbstractThe aim of the present paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the role of heraldry, in particular of para-heraldic devices known as “badges”, in 15th-century England. The case chosen for examination is that of the white rose, one of the major badges of Edward IV.The data consists of four contemporary texts in which Edward is referred to as the “rose”, analysed against the background of the use of the white rose of York as a heraldic device. This includes surviving artefacts ranging from effigies to stained glass to seals and manuscript illuminations, as well as contemporary descriptions and depictions of those artefacts.Using the methodological apparatus of cognitive linguistics, specifically the multimodal metaphor and metonymy analysis, the author examines the interplay between language and heraldry. The results show that while the primary function of the white rose and of other badges employed by Edward IV was to emphasize his heritage and thus invite a metonymic reading, the badge inspired other, metaphorical readings, which were employed rhetorically by his supporters. In this context, the concept of the badge may be reinterpreted as a metaphtonymy.The analysis supports the view of heraldry as an integral element of medieval society. From a semiotic perspective, heraldry should be seen as a dynamic system that could be exploited creatively to suit the needs of its users, which in turn corresponds to the dynamic theory of metaphor.

scholarly journals VERBA BERENDONIM INDRA PENGLIHATAN DALAM BAHASA INDONESIA : KAJIAN LINGUISTIK KOGNITIF DAN SEMANTIK LEKSIKAL

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Nuny Sulistiany Idris
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Lexical Semantics ◽  
Sensory Experience ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Schematic Representation ◽  
Mental Space ◽  
Representation Scheme ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Bahasa Indonesia

AbstrakIndra penglihatan merupakan salah satu organ tubuh yang penting untuk manusia sehingga dihasilkan berbagai varian verba berendonim indra penglihatan, akan tetapi penelitian tentang hal ini sangat terbatas. Melalui penelitian ini yang menggunakan teori linguistik kognitif dan semantik leksikal diperoleh bahwa (1) verba berendonim indra penglihatan yang paling banyak digunakan adalah verba yang berhubungan dengan aktivitas sehari-hari yang paling sering dilakukan dan semakin tinggi pendidikan seseorang, semakin banyak digunakan varian verba berendonim indra penglihatan, sebaliknya semakin rendah pendidikan seseorang semakin sedikit varian verba yang digunakannya; (2) skema representasi verba berendonim indra penglihatan mengambarkan hubungan antara makna verba ini dengan pemaparannya pada kamus dan penggunaannya pada kehidupan sehari-hari; dan (3) kognisi menentukan ranah penggunaan verba berendonim indra penglihatan dengan cara menghubungkan ruang mental dengan pengalaman indrawi penuturnya.Kata-kata kunci: Endonim, skema representasi, kognisi, ranah AbstractThe sense of sight is one of the vital organs for humans to produce many variants of verbs sight endonym;however, research on this area is very limited. Using the theory of cognitive linguistics and lexical semantics, this study reveals that the most widely usedverbsof sight endonym are the ones associated with most frequently performed daily activities; the higher the education, the more variants of the verbsused, and vice versa.It also indicatesthe schematic representation of the verbs of sight endonym reflects the relationship between the meaningsand descriptions of the verbsin a dictionary and their use in everyday life; and the domain of cognition determines use of the verbs by linking mental space with the sensory experience of the speaker.Keywords: endonym, representation scheme, cognition, domain

scholarly journals CONTROLLED AND NON-CONTROLLED SITUATIONS AND THEIR CONCEPTUALIZATION BY THE VERB FIND

2021 ◽  
pp. 57-66
Author(s):  
Татьяна Ивановна Семенова ◽  
Анна Александровна Чапайкина
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Cognitive Strategies ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Cognitive Semantics ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Lexical Meaning ◽  
The Road ◽  
Taxonomic Category ◽  
On The Road

Введение. Исследованы когнитивные основания лексической полисемии и описаны принципы организации системы значений многозначного слова. Актуальность исследования заключается в динамическом подходе к языковому значению как к способу и результату концептуализации структур знания. Объектом исследования являются конструкции с глаголом find типа Finally I found the wallet; He found a wallet on the road. Значение глагола find трактуется как когнитивный феномен, за которым стоит пропозициональная структура знания о ситуации обнаружения. Цель – выявить семантические и концептуальные характеристики прототипической когнитивной модели ситуации обнаружения и установить когнитивные факторы и механизмы, влияющие на концептуальную вариативность прототипической ситуации. Материал и методы. Использовались принципы и методы когнитивной семантики, в рамках которой значение понимается как концептуализация когнитивного взаимодействия человека с миром. Результаты и обсуждение. Выявлены параметры лексического значения глагола find, которые определяют основные механизмы образования производных значений и парадигму многозначности глагола. Обоснованы категориальные значения данного глагола. На основе признаков агентивность/неагентивность глагол find актуализирует в зависимости от когнитивного контекста либо таксономическую категорию действие с акцентом на результате, либо происшествие. Установлено, что изменение таксономической категории глагола find является механизмом семантической деривации производного неагентивного значения, посредством которого концептуализируется неконтролируемая ситуация обнаружения. Выявлены и описаны семантические, синтаксические, прагматические характеристики контролируемой и неконтролируемой ситуаций обнаружения. Когнитивно значимыми для концепта контролируемой ситуации обнаружения являются пресуппозиция поисковой деятельности и конкретно-референтный статус актантов. Концепт ситуации неконтролируемого обнаружения задает роль участника-каузатора в позиции синтаксического субъекта и активирует компонент «сопутствующая деятельность». Заключение. Результаты исследования обладают экпланаторным потенциалом для понимания когнитивных механизмов образования производных значений многозначного глагола, что вносит вклад в дальнейшее развитие концепции когнитивной семантики. Introduction. The theoretical background of the research is a set of principles and assumptions of cognitive linguistics to the study of the meaning of a linguistic form in the context of other cognitive structures. The theoretical perspective of the paper is to consider semantic shifts of the verb find. The goal of the research is to highlight cognitive mechanisms underlying alternative construal of the situations conceptualized by the verb find and reveal cognitive strategies of verbal semantic derivation. Material and methods. The research is based on the empirical data from available sources and corpora data. The study is conducted within the framework of cognitive semantics where language meaning is viewed as knowledge structure. Results and discussion. The paper considers the phenomenon of lexical polysemy from a cognitive perspective. Of particular concern is the issue of semantic extension of the polysemantic verb find. The study brings into focus such parameters of the verbal meaning as taxonomic category of the verb, semantic roles of the participants and their referential status. It is argued that the change of any parameter causes semantic shifts of the lexical meaning of the verb find. The paper discusses two taxonomic categories of the verb find “achievements” and “happenings”. The author comes to the conclusion that the semantic difference between the constructions like Finally he found the wallet and He found a coin in the dust lies in the semantic component “+control”/“–control”. The study highlights semantic and syntactic features of the controlled and non-controlled situations conceptualized by the agentive meaning and non-agentive meaning of the verb find. Conclusion. The results of the research reveal that the change of the taxonomic category of the verb is a cognitive mechanism of verbal semantic derivation. The results obtained may be helpful for further study of productive semantic derivation processes in the framework of cognitive semantics.

scholarly journals From the concepts of meaning and reference to the concept of prototypicality

2020 ◽  
pp. 68-87
Author(s):  
Carlos Assunção ◽  
◽  
◽  
◽  
Carla Araújo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Subject Matter ◽  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Cognitive Semantics ◽  
Great Contribution ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
The World ◽  
Reference Form ◽  
The Way

Meaning is a uniquely human phenomenon. In linguistics, this subject matter is especially complex, considering the multiplicity of theoretical approaches and the variety of disciplinary fields that address the issue. A similar concern applies to the concept of reference, because, although most linguists today agree that meaning and reference form two different realities, the discussion about the relation between these two terms has not yet been fully examined. Cognitive Linguistics has made a great contribution to this discussion by recognizing that we cannot present the postulate of the existence of a level of meaning that belongs only to language and is distinct from the level at which the meaning of linguistic forms is associated with the knowledge of the world. The objective of this work is to show that, with Cognitive Linguistics, the ideas of meaning and reference are re-equated and have gained strength in the scope of linguistic studies reinforced by the concept of prototype. For such purpose this text describes the way these concepts have evolved based on their theorisation, paying particular attention to cognitive semantics, but not intending to make an exhaustive theoretical-methodological analysis of them.

scholarly journals THE PICTURE OF THE WORLD AND THE CONCEPT: THE PROBLEM OF (RE)INTERPRETATION

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 394-410
Author(s):  
Tetiana YASRTEMSKA
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Semantic Space ◽  
Cognitive Semantics ◽  
Binary Opposition ◽  
Verbal Expression ◽  
Original Algorithm ◽  
Semantic Fields ◽  
The World ◽  
Collective Experience ◽  
World Concept

The article summarizes the main theoretical principles of interpreting the terms lingual picture of the world and concept by analyzing primary academic studies in cognitive linguistics and by processing dialectal studies as phenomena of dialect speakers' lingual consciousness in the light of cognitive semantics. The author has made an attempt of interpreting – or rather reinterpreting – these terms due to the increased attention of today's researchers to these terms. The notions of scientific and naive, lingual and conceptual, lingual and dialectal pictures of the world are grounded and verified. The main approaches to understanding the term concept, its history, and basic definitions, typologies, and features have been under study. Special attention is paid to the form and content of the concept. The structure of the concept (verbal expression) constructs nominative space, which includes a system of nominations (lexical, phraseological, and syntactic units), while the content of the concept (semantic space) shapes the "assembled" semantics of concept nominations, covering semantic fields, subfields, micro fields, etc. The author also explores the systematic organization of concepts as well as the formation of the sphere of concepts (equal to the conceptual picture of the world), which is verbalized and transformed into a lingual picture of the world. She has elaborated an original algorithm for concept analysis as based on the nominative space of the binary concepts top / bottom in Ukrainian dialects (base words верх / низ; synonyms гора / діл, під; cognate words (derivatives and compounds); combinations of words, idioms with these keywords). The sources of the research are historical and regional dictionaries as well as texts and linguistic atlases. It is possible to identify the specific features of the perception of the world and differences in the worldview of dialect speakers, their knowledge and collective experience. It is also possible to represent the specific features of dialect nomination, derivation, and semantics. The topicality of the study is motivated by the controversial character of understanding the terms lingual picture of the world and concept in the linguistic paradigm as well as by determining relations between these notions and methods for their analysis. Keywords: Dialectal picture of the world, concept, nominative space of concept, semantic space of concept, sphere of concepts, binary opposition.

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