"Verbs of mental states or activity constitute a subject of considerable interest to both Cognitive Linguistics and Linguistic Typology. They promise to open a window on the invisible workings of the mind, while at the same time displaying a wide varietyof historical sources across languages. In this book Michael Fortescue presents an innovative approach to the semantics and diachronic source of cognitive verbs across a representative array of the world's languages. The relationship among the cognitive verbs of individual languages is essentially one of metonymy, and the book investigates in detail the specific metonymic relationships involved, as revealed largely by the polysemous spread of word meanings. The data is projected against a circular 'map' of interrelated cognitive categories"--
Having previously argued that the relationship among verbs that describe mental states or activities-cognitive verbs-is essentially one of metonymy, Fortescue here spells out in greater detail the specific metonymic relationships across a restricted but representative selection of the world's languages, as revealed largely by polysemy. Along the way, he also reassesses the role of metaphor. One recurring theme throughout the work is the question of criteria for distinguishing the major cognitive categories and portraying them as a closed circle, he says, and another is the relevance of diachrony. Annotation ©2021 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
This book contains an innovative approach to the semantics and diachronic source of cognitive verbs across a representative array of the worlds languages.
