The paper discusses the subsystem of spatial fragmentisers (PF) as temporal
localisation markers in Russian and Serbian. PF have been defined by
previous research as inseparable intangible parts of spatial units and
considered in concrete-spatial frameworks based on the theory of semantic
localisations; according to this theory, PF perform the function of a
concretising orienteer in the situation of intralocalisation. In this paper,
we analyse their temporal function and refer to them as temporal
fragmentisers. The structure of PF, essentially spatial and formed of
equipollent and privative semantic oppositions, and the inventory of PF
units are modified in terms of temporality, in accordance with the
conceptualisation and linguistic representation of the category of time.
According to their function, PF are conditionally classified into three
groups: the first one - equally represented in the categories of space and
time (do nacala / pre pocetka, do konca / do kraja); the second - typically
temporal with a clear spatial etymology (po okoncaniju / po zavrsetku) and
the third - specifically temporal, but structurally similar to PF in
characterisation (za vremja / za vreme, v tecenie / u toku). From the aspect
of the structure of semantic oppositions, PF appear within the lexicon of
the functional-semantic field of temporality mainly within the
anthropocentric range ?centre - periphery? (nacalo, seredina, konec /
pocetak, sredina, kraj). The meanings of the oppositions ?up - down?, ?in
front of - behind? and ?far - near? are realised in conceptual metaphors of
time by units of isofunctional spatial subsystems (adverbial, adjectival,
etc.). The PF subsystem, which is partially reduced in this sense (compared
to the spatial one) due to the conceptualisation of time, on the other hand,
becomes enriched with the instruments expressing the sense of durability. In
addition, there is wide field of overlap with other isofunctional
grammatical-syntactic categories, e.g., prepositions and conjunctions (v
tecenie / u toku, tokom; vo vremja / u vreme; do teh por poka; s teh por kak;
v to vremja kak etc.). Bilingual examples illustrate the isomorphism of the
categories of time and space in both languages and reveal a well-developed
PF subsystem, whose intricate intrasystemic and intersystemic links become
distinctly noticeable through interlingual comparison.
Chinese Five Elements Conceptual Metaphors on Time and Space
