Cognitive

Grammar
Student: Monika Tomac
Course: Semantics and Pragmatics
Prof: Maja Brala
Ac. Year: 2014/2015

INTRODUCTION
GRAMMAR IS MEANINGFUL
the elements of grammar
have meaning

complex expressions
(phrases, clauses,
sentences) have

meaning

- grammar relies on mental constructions; at the

core of grammatical meanings are mental
operations
- grammar can tell us a lot about meaning and
cognition if properly analyzed

COGNITIVE GRAMMAR
a theory of grammar, developed by
Ronald W. Langacker
a grammatical approach within the
broader field of cognitive linguistics
how linguistic elements combine into
complex expressions?
language cannot be thought of as a
self-contained module

WHY COGNITIVE?
Language as representation of
human mind, but...
language-independent cognitive
processes:
1. association
2. automatization
3. schematization
4. categorization

SYMBOLIC STRUCTURES
foundational functions of language:
semiological and interactive
language consists of assemblies of
symbolic structures i.e. constructions
they are bipolar structures, consisting
of a semantic pole and a phonological
pole
[[CAT]/[cat]]

SYMBOLIC COMPLEXITY

morpheme zero symbolic complexity

moon, moonless, moonless night
a)[[MOON]/[moon]]
b)[[[MOON]/[moon]] [[LESS]]/[[less]]]
c)[[[[[MOON]/[moon]] [[LESS]]/[[less]]]
[[NIGHT]]/[[night]]]

 linguistic expressions can be analyzed

along three dimensions:
1. symbolic complexity (event < eventful
< eventful day < an eventful day < on
an eventful day )
2. specificity i.e. schematicity (on a X
day vs.
on an eventful day)
3. entrenchment i.e. conventionality
(novel expressions vs. fixed expressions)

THE GRAMMAR-LEXICON
CONTINUUM
what are traditionally known as rules are
understood as schemas or patterns used
to form complex expressions
(constructions) in Cognitive Grammar
partly specific structures such as on a X
day cannot be assigned exclusively to
either the lexicon or grammar since they
are neither fully specific nor fully
schematic and thus illustrate the
continuous nature of lexicon and grammar

WHERE DOES LEXICON

STOP AND GRAMMAR
BEGIN?

MEANING AS
CONCEPTUALIZATION
conceptualization
dynamic (processing) nature
imagistic
interactive
use of imaginative abilities
lexical meanings are encyclopedic in that
they are conventional paths of access to
open-ended domains of knowledge
The beach is safe vs. The child is safe

 linguistic meaning: content

and construal
set of domains i.e. matrix =
any kind of conception or
realm of experience
construal our ability to
conceive and portray the same
situation in alternate ways
construal involves a variety of
dimensions, including scope the conceptual content
appearing in the subjective
viewing frame inherent in the
apprehension of an expression

 any linguistic
expression
profiles either a
thing or a
relationship
parent child
have a child
have a parent
trajector
(primary focus)
vs. landmark
(secondary focus)

SEMANTIC ROLES AND

GRAMMATICAL ROLES
semantic roles: agent, patient, instrument,
experiencer, mover, zero (theme)
it is possible to define subject and object
both prototypically and schematically
direct object passivization; objects
paths, locations, measurements
subject a setting or location rather than
participant
indirect object object of preposition

CONCLUSION
as pointed out by Broccias and Hollmann
(2007), there is the issue of the apparently
dual nature of Cognitive Grammar
Cognitive Grammar remains, undeniably,
one of the most innovative and
comprehensive theories of grammar
we will always and inevitably have to
focus our attention on the cognitive
foundations of grammar