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Cognitive Semantics

1. Cognitive semantics is an integrated and dynamic approach to linguistics that studies how language is integrated within the cognitive system and social/physical environment. 2. Iconicity refers to the motivated relationship between linguistic form and meaning, such as onomatopoeic words, and how more complex forms tend to have more complex meanings. 3. Categorization is central to cognition, as it allows us to make sense of the world. Categories are flexibly organized around prototypes and exist within socio-cultural and physical contexts.

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222 views3 pages

Cognitive Semantics

1. Cognitive semantics is an integrated and dynamic approach to linguistics that studies how language is integrated within the cognitive system and social/physical environment. 2. Iconicity refers to the motivated relationship between linguistic form and meaning, such as onomatopoeic words, and how more complex forms tend to have more complex meanings. 3. Categorization is central to cognition, as it allows us to make sense of the world. Categories are flexibly organized around prototypes and exist within socio-cultural and physical contexts.

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gominola_92
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UNIT 5 - COGNITIVE SEMANTICS

1. INTRODUCTION
Integrating + Dynamic approach (from 80s today). Cognitist linguists wanted to study real language. For cognitive linguistics, semantics is the head of linguistics. Founding fathers of semantics are Chomkys students: Lakoff, Langacker, Filmore, Talmy European cognitist: Enrique Bernrdez + Geezerts. C.S. is not born out of an individual. The meaning of C.S. for us is integration; Lg is integrated withing the body, within the cognitive system. The different levels of grammar overlap, they are integrated. Also integrated within a social, cultural and physical environment in Lg (context must be taken into account). Today we are all work with social cognitive system.

2. ICONICITY
Relationship between form and meaning in Lg. Motivation is the opposite of arbitrariness. Lots of Lgs are motivated. An example: a clear relationship between form and meaning is a cucu (the form represents the sound; cucu is an onomatopoeic word). Polysemy is a clear example of motivation. Iconic principles (they come from biology): 1. Formal complexity corresponds to more lexical complexity more form, more meaning. 2. Conceptual distance matches linguistic distance. Eg.: the motivated order of the adjectives (pepperoni pizza). 3. Lgs in the world tend to follow the chronological sequence / order of events.

3. CATEGORIZATION
The capacity of categorizing makes sense of the complex phenomena that we experience in the world to process, store and structure in our memory these words. It is central to the study of cognition. Networks: categories are flexible, prototypically organized. Structuralists prefer the term semantic fields but cognitists choose the term categories. For cognitists, categories are flexible, however for structuralist categories are organized in a mosaic (they are perfectly limited). The different members of categories are prototypically organized. Eg: prototypical example of dog is our own dog, for me it is Jenny; nevertheless for Ali, it is Lana. Intentionally, the different meanings of a word are also prototypically organized. Extensionally, semantic fields / categories overlap. Eg: the overlapping between birds and mammals (experts theories overlapd, but many scientists disagree). Prototype is the best clearest representative member of the category. It is the reference point to the category (diff from culture to culture, diff over time, diff within the same culture). Radial networks / Family resemblance model: how words are organized Categories are hierarchically structured:

NOTE: The basic level of categorization is the perceptually and conceptually more important. The elements at this level are monomorphemic. Human sized words are basic level terms because they are words which we use as non-experts.

Categories are closely related to socio-cultural and physical context: this means that categories are embodied. Domain refers to the cognitive representations with respect to which most linguistic units are characterized. For instance, in order to understand what a nackle (nudillo) is, you need to know what a finger is. Cognitive domains do not need to be made explicit because they are shared cultural knowledge.

Individual connotations: for structuralists, concepts / words have fixed properties. Every single word has its own properties. We have individual connotations depending on our experience. Example: GUESS: Where shall I sit? HOST: Can you sit in the apple juice seat? Evidence: we need the frame to understand the conversation. We need the context / frame all the time.

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