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Towards a domain-neutral prepositional semantics

Widoff, Andreas LU (2024) In Lingua 298.
Abstract
Prepositions with a range over several conceptual domains are often described as polysemous between these domains. Typically, spatial senses are seen as basic, while temporal and abstract senses are assumed to be derived from space. The present article argues in favour of an alternative analysis in which domain-neutral properties of prepositions are used to account for similarities between instances in different domains. Methodological considerations with respect to the analytical depth, generality and simplicity of semantic accounts speak in favour of such a domain-neutral approach. The approach is illustrated with two Swedish prepositions, från ‘from’ and till ‘to’, both of which span numerous domains. To facilitate semantic descriptions... (More)
Prepositions with a range over several conceptual domains are often described as polysemous between these domains. Typically, spatial senses are seen as basic, while temporal and abstract senses are assumed to be derived from space. The present article argues in favour of an alternative analysis in which domain-neutral properties of prepositions are used to account for similarities between instances in different domains. Methodological considerations with respect to the analytical depth, generality and simplicity of semantic accounts speak in favour of such a domain-neutral approach. The approach is illustrated with two Swedish prepositions, från ‘from’ and till ‘to’, both of which span numerous domains. To facilitate semantic descriptions of the relation between domain-neutral and domain-specific content, a semantic notation in the form of feature structures is introduced (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Prepositions, Localism, Conceptual domains, Semantic interpretation, Methodology, Swedish
in
Lingua
volume
298
article number
103624
pages
23 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85180121888
ISSN
0024-3841
DOI
10.1016/j.lingua.2023.103624
project
The semantics of Swedish prepositions: Space, time and beyond
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
df0fb6b6-c016-408b-b3b7-dbc7d26c1dbc
date added to LUP
2023-10-14 16:31:36
date last changed
2024-01-31 04:04:10
@article{df0fb6b6-c016-408b-b3b7-dbc7d26c1dbc,
  abstract     = {{Prepositions with a range over several conceptual domains are often described as polysemous between these domains. Typically, spatial senses are seen as basic, while temporal and abstract senses are assumed to be derived from space. The present article argues in favour of an alternative analysis in which domain-neutral properties of prepositions are used to account for similarities between instances in different domains. Methodological considerations with respect to the analytical depth, generality and simplicity of semantic accounts speak in favour of such a domain-neutral approach. The approach is illustrated with two Swedish prepositions, från ‘from’ and till ‘to’, both of which span numerous domains. To facilitate semantic descriptions of the relation between domain-neutral and domain-specific content, a semantic notation in the form of feature structures is introduced}},
  author       = {{Widoff, Andreas}},
  issn         = {{0024-3841}},
  keywords     = {{Prepositions; Localism; Conceptual domains; Semantic interpretation; Methodology; Swedish}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Lingua}},
  title        = {{Towards a domain-neutral prepositional semantics}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2023.103624}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.lingua.2023.103624}},
  volume       = {{298}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}