Abstract:

There appear to be dozens of semantic theories ranging over a hundred years, among which cognitive semantics is the most advanced. Talmy (2000a/b) constructed and classified a dynamic conceptual system, and discussed its processes and linguistic representation with the main emphasis on five schematic systems, including the window of attention and the figure-ground (perspective and salience) relationship, the space and movement, quantification and boundaries, schema and macro-events, as well as force, dynamics, and interactions. This paper attempts to expound his first theme and application from the perspective of embodied cognitive semantics. We have found these ideas to be closely related to “embodiment”, but this is not reflected in the name “cognitive semantics” itself, not to mention Marxist dialectical materialism or postmodernist views of humanism, irrationalism, pluralism, and the like. Although Talmy sometimes accepted Chomskyan linguistic universalism, we do not consider this to be appropriate. Accordingly, we propose “embodied cognitive semantics” as a complement.

Keywords: Talmy; cognitive semantics; five schematic systems; embodied cognitive semantics; window of attention; figure-ground

摘要：

百余年来，语义研究先后出现了20多种理论，其中认知语义学当为最前沿。Talmy深入研究了动态性概念系统的建构、分类、过程、系统和语言表征，重点论述了五大图式系统，研究专题包括“注意窗和图形—背景（视角、突显）”“空间和运动”“计量和界性”“图式和宏事件”“因果、力动态和互动”等。本文拟从体认语义学的角度出发，主要论述第一个专题（即注意窗和图形—背景）在语言研究和教学中的具体应用。本研究发现，这些专题都与“体验观”相关，但这一核心原则未能体现在“认知语义学”的学科名称之中，Talmy更未涉及马克思主义的辩证唯物论和后现代哲学的“人本观、非理性、多元化”等内容；同时，他还接受了乔姆斯基的语言普遍观，本研究认为这并不妥当。据此，我们尝试提出“体认语义学”，以作弥补与发展。

关键词: Talmy, 认知语义学, 五大图式系统, 体认语义学, 注意窗, 图形—背景