Introduction
Cognitive linguistics
- Logical view
- Linguistics is done by postulating logical rules and objective
definitions on the basis of theoretical considerations and introspection
- Experiental view of language
- Linguistics is done by collecting data from laypersons about
all aspects of their understanding of language
- Prominence view of language
- Some aspects of the real world are more prominent to humans
and so get preferential treatment in language
- Attentional view of language
- Some aspects of the real world draw humans' attention and
so get preferential treatment in language
§1 Prototypes and categories
This chapter looks at early psychological studies of cognitive
categories, which led to the protoype model of categorization.
1.1 Colors, squares, birds, and cups: early empirical research
into lexical categories
Focal colors
Prototypical shapes
Birds
Chairs
Cups
1.2 The internal structure of categories: prototypes, attributes,
family resemblence, and gestalt
Attributes, good birds and bad birds
Attribute
Essential feature
Attributes, good birds and bad birds: an example >ROBIN<
The principle of familiy resemblences
Taken from Wittgenstein's passage on how to define 'game'
Attribute listing and attribute-based typicality ratings
Attributes and dimensions
Internal category structure and gestalt
We probably do not recognize things by evaluating specific
sttributes
The cognitive status of categories, prototypes, attributes,
and gestalt
1.3 Context-dependence and cultural models
The context-dependence of prototypes and of the whole internal
category structure
Context, situation and cognitive models
Cultural models
Naive models and expert models
Exercises
2. Discuss which attributes of 'car' are most likely to change
their weight when the context changes, say from ordinary traffic
to a race.
5. Compare cultural models of bachelor/spinster, gentleman/lady,
master/mistress, and boy/girl.
Inception: 10/13/99. Last revision:
10/18/99.
