Ontolinguistics : how ontological status shapes the linguistic coding of concepts / edited by Andrea C. Schalley, Dietmar Zaefferer.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Schalley, Andrea C., 1972-

Zaefferer, Dietmar, 1947-

Series:

Trends in linguistics. Studies and monographs ; 176.

Trends in linguistics. Studies and monographs, 1861-4302 ; 176

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Linguistics.

Ontology.

Concepts.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (496 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Berlin ; New York : Mouton de Gruyter, c2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Current progress in linguistic theorizing is more and more informed by cross-linguistic (including cross-modal) investigation. Comparison of languages relies crucially on the concepts that can be coded with similar effort in all languages. These concepts are part of every language user's ontology, the network of cross-connected conceptualizations the mind uses in coping with the world. Assuming that language comparability is rooted in the comparability of user ontologies, the idea of the present volume is to further instigate progress in linguistics by looking behind the interface with the conceptual-intentional system and asking a still underexplored question: How are ontological structures reflected in intra- and cross-linguistic regularities? This question defines the research program of ontology based linguistics or ontolinguistics. Recent advances in the theory of language have been characterized by an emphasis on external explanatory adequacy and thus on relating language to other phenomena. The research program introduced in this volume adds a decisively distinct and fresh aspect to this emerging new contextualization of the field by bringing together insights from different areas, mainly linguistics, but also neuroscience, philosophy, and artificial intelligence. In providing these disciplines with a new common task, the exploration of the impact of ontological structures on linguistic regularities, the ontolinguistic approach promises to develop into a vital branch of cognitive science. Documenting the beginnings, the book aims to instigate future interdisciplinary research in this area. It will be of interest to researchers in linguistics, artificial intelligence, philosophy, and cognitive science in general.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

I Introduction

Ontolinguistics - An outline

Ontologies across disciplines

II Foundations, general ontologies, and linguistic categories

The emergence of a shared action ontology: Building blocks for a theory

Formal representation of concepts: The Suggested Upper Merged Ontology and its use in linguistics

Linguistic interaction and ontological mediation

Semantic primes and conceptual ontology

Using 'Ontolinguistics' for language description

Language as mind sharing device: Mental and linguistic concepts in a general ontology of everyday life

III Concepts with closed-class coding

The representation of spatial structure in spoken and signed language: A neural model

Postural categories and the classification of nominal concepts: A case study of Goemai

Spatial 'on' - 'in' categories and their prepositional codings across languages: Universal constraints on language specificity

Semantic categorizations and encoding strategies

IV Categories with open-class coding

Taxonomic and meronomic superordinates with nominal coding

Motion events in concept hierarchies: Identity criteria and French examples

On the ontological, conceptual, and grammatical foundations of verb classes

The ontological loneliness of verb phrase idioms

Relating ontological knowledge and internal structure of eventity concepts

Backmatter

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9786612194153

9781282194151

1282194151

9783110197792

3110197790

OCLC:

290492737