Event structure, conceptual spaces and the semantics of verbs

Open Access
Authors
Publication date 10-2012
Journal Theoretical Linguistics
Volume | Issue number 38 | 3-4
Pages (from-to) 159-193
Organisations
  • Interfacultary Research - Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC)
Abstract

The aim of this paper is to integrate spatial cognition with lexical semantics. We develop cognitive models of actions and events based on conceptual spaces and vectors on them. The models are then used to present a semantic theory of verbs.

We propose a two-vector model of events including a force vector and a result vector. We argue that our framework provides a unified account for a multiplicity of linguistic phenomena related to verbs. Among other things it provides a cognitive explanation for the lexico-semantic constraint regarding manner vs. result and for polysemy caused by intentionality. It also generates a unified definition of aspect.

Document type Article
Note ©[2012] by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston
Language English
Published at https://doi.org/10.1515/tl-2012-0010
Downloads
Event structure (Final published version)
Permalink to this page
Back