ChapterPrototypesandCategories认知语言学实用教案.ppt

Philosophical Background
Experientialism(体验(tǐyàn)主义）
All the categories, concepts, deductions and mental abilities are based on the embodied experiences
Procedure: Reality-cognition-language
The aim of cognitive linguistics: To explain the iconicity behind linguistic signs and the cognitive mechanism
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Main Contents
Philosophical background
Categorization
The classical theory
Wittgenstein’s study on categorization
The prototype theory
Empirical researches and Inspirations
Berlin & Kay’s research on focal colors and inspirations
Eleanor Rosch’s research (an extended one) and inspirations
Influencing factors on the prototype category
The application of the prototype theory
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Categorization
The close relation between language study and category study
“If linguistics can be said to be any one thing it is the study of categories.” (Labov, 1973:342)
Categorization and category
“The mental process of classification is commonly called categorization, and its products are the cognitive categories “ (Ungerer & Schmid, 2001:2；2008：8)
“There is nothing more basic than categorization to our thought, perception, action and speech.”(Lakoff, 1987:5)
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Categorization
the world is made up of an infinite variety of objects with different substances, shapes and colors.
We don’t perceive such variety without order, . we assume there are perceived separating points and boundaries as well as perceived similarities between different entities. Thus, it is necessary to classify entities – to group the entities which share perceived similarities together and divide those different entities.
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Categorization
Categories
Kinds of things: chairs, nation, illnesses, emotions
Kinds of motor activities: writing, hammering, ironing, kicking,etc.
According to the Australian aboriginal language Dyirbal, there is a category, balan, which includes women, fire , and dangerous things. (Lakoff, 1987:5)
An und