Book: Semantics
Chapter: 5. Conceptual structures
Blurb:
Chapter 5 discuses the central roles in language assigned to conceptual structures,
namely knowledge representations which pertain to the organization of
conceptsin the human conceptualsystem.The chapterincludesthree sections.
Section 5.1 defines the conceptual system and highlights its role in reflecting
language. Section 2 enumerates forms of conceptual structure. Section 5.2.1
covers metaphor, whereby something is compared to something else which
has the same characteristics. Section 5.2.2 concerns metonymy, whereby
something is substituted by something else which is closely connected with
it. Section 5.2.3 pertains to image schemas, abstract patterns which derive
from our everyday interaction in the world and provide the basis for more
richly detailed lexical concepts. Section 5.2.4 relates to mental spaces,
knowledge patterns containing specific kinds of information and constructed
for interpretive purposes. Section 5.2.5 explains blending, whereby selected
elements from two mental spaces are incorporated in a third space, the blend.
In all the sections, I pursue three steps. First, I elaborate on the essence of
the conceptual structure. Second, I touch upon its properties. Third, I present
its patterns. For each conceptual structure, I devise exercises to validate its
application. Section 5.3 summarizes the main points of the chapter.