The Semantics od English Prepositions.pdf

The Semantics of English Prepositions

Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meaning and Cognition

Using a cognitive linguistics perspective, this book provides the most com-

prehensive theoretical analysis of the semantics of English prepositions avail-

able. All English prepositions originally coded spatial relations between two

physical entities; while retaining their original meaning, prepositions have

also developed a rich set of non-spatial meanings. In this innovative study,

Tyler and Evans argue that all these meanings are systematically grounded in

the nature of human spatio-physical experience. The original ‘spatial scenes’

provide the foundation for the extension of meaning from the spatial to the

more abstract. This analysis introduces a new methodology that distinguishes

between a conventional meaning and an interpretation produced for under-

standing the preposition in context, as well as establishing which of several

competing senses should be taken as the primary sense. Together, the method-

ology and framework are sufﬁciently articulated to generate testable predic-

tions and allow the analysis to be applied to additional prepositions.

ANDREA TYLER is Associate Professor of Linguistics at Georgetown

University. She teaches a range of courses which largely focus on applica-

tions of linguistic theory to issues of second language learning and teaching.

She has published in numerous journals.

VYVYAN EVANS is Lecturer in Linguistics at the School of Cognitive and

Computing Sciences, University of Sussex. He teaches a range of courses

in general linguistics at undergraduate and postgraduate level. His research

focuses on conceptual structure and semantics.

The Semantics of

English Prepositions

Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meaning

and Cognition

Andrea Tyler

Linguistics Department

Georgetown University

and

Vyvyan Evans

School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences

University of Sussex

Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo

Cambridge University Press

The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge , United Kingdom

Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York

www.cambridge.org

Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521814300

This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of

relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place

without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.

First published in print format

2003

isbn-13 978-0-511-06489-0 eBook (NetLibrary)

isbn-10 0-511-06489-6 eBook (NetLibrary)

isbn-13 978-0-521-81430-0 hardback

isbn-10 0-521-81430-8 hardback

Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of

s for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book, and does not

guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

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