Do semantic categories really exist? A few cognitive remarks on French Cover Image

Est-ce qu’il existe des catégories asémantiques? Quelques réflexions dites cognitives sur la base de la langue française
Do semantic categories really exist? A few cognitive remarks on French

Author(s): Katarzyna Kwapisz-Osadnik
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego

Summary/Abstract: Many researchers in cognitive linguistics support an idea that all categories used in a speech event are carriers of meaning. What is more, it is claimed to be unnecessary to differentiate between categories on the basis of their position and function in a language in order to know their meaning. Here I argue that by analysing French subjonctif mood and prepositions – we can demonstrate that this is context that it of great importance in the construction of meaning as a product of data processing. I would also try to prove that French does not lack asemantic items considering the importance of an interlocutor who has an impact on the frequency of use. The frequency of use underlies a process of forming new lexical items in long-term memory which are subsequently grouped in a hierarchy of semantic-cognitive patterns.

  • Issue Year: 2011
  • Issue No: 11
  • Page Range: 241-248
  • Page Count: 8
  • Language: French