Semantics - A Cognitive Account of Linguistic Meaning - Zeki Hamawand
8. Configuration
Semantics - A Cognitive Account of Linguistic Meaning - Zeki Hamawand
Zeki Hamawand [+]
University of Kirkuk and University of Sulaimani
Description
Chapter 8 inspects the role of configuration in the semantic description of linguistic items as groups. The aim is to discover the distinctive meaning of each linguistic item in a field. The chapter is organized as follows. Section 8.1 considers the phenomenon of configuration and underlines its significance. Configuration refers to the mental act of grouping together a number of linguistic items, be they lexical or grammatical, into a cognitive domain. A domain then is a knowledge background with respect to which the meanings of lexical items can be properly described. Section 8.2 presents the two theories of configuration: Lexical Field and Cognitive Domain. In the Lexical Field theory, which is advocated in Structural Semantics, configuration represents a model which focuses only on linguistic meaning. In the Cognitive Domain theory, which is advocated in Cognitive Semantics, configuration represents a model which focuses on both linguistic and non-linguistic meanings. In both sections, I pursue three steps. First, I underscore the essence of each theory. Second, I reveal its premises and repercussions. Third, I give examples to verify its application. Section 8.3 makes a summary of the main points of the chapter.