Cognitive Space and Linguistic Case
Semantic and Syntactic Categories in English

This book develops an alternative approach to cases which permits better descriptions of certain syntactic phenomena.

Izchak M. Schlesinger (Author)

9780521434362, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 8 June 1995

256 pages, 31 tables
23.5 x 15.9 x 2.4 cm, 0.55 kg

"...sheds new light on the complex relationship between cognition and linguistic categories....This new approach to case permits better descriptions of certain syntactic phenomena than has hitherto been possible." International Journal of Psychology

This study sheds light on the complex relationship between cognitive and linguistic categories. Challenging the view of cases as categories in cognitive space, Professor Schlesinger proposes an understanding of the concept of case. Drawing on evidence from psycholinguistic research and English language data, he argues that case categories are in fact composed of more primitive cognitive notions: features and dimensions. These are registered in the lexical entries of individual verbs, thereby allowing certain metaphorical extensions. This approach to case permits better descriptions of certain syntactic phenomena, as Schlesinger illustrates through the analysis of the feature compositions of three cases.

Preface
Introduction
1. Cognitive space
2. Agent and subject
3. The comitative
4. Non-comitative instruments
5. Predicates
6. The attributee
7. Mental verbs
8. Objects
9. Verb classes and agents
10. Retrospect and prospects
Notes
References
Indexes.

Subject Areas: Linguistics [CF]