Publications

Publication details [#958]

Pérez i Brufau, Roger. 2010. Image schemas, imagistic representation and the situation construction. Universidad de Vigo: Servizo de Publicacións. 11 pp.
Publication type
Book – conference proceedings
Publication language
English

Abstract

The present proposal, which combines Jonhson’s theory of image-schemas and Langacker’s Cognitive Grammar, zooms in on the so-called “situation construction”. The author analyses examples from languages such as Latin, Spanish, French, Catalan and English and argues that the aforementioned construction includes linguistic expressions coming from the Latin verbs “sum” and “habeo”; two verbs that present the possibility of functioning as an auxiliary in many languages. Throughout the paper, the author contends that these verbs occur in the situation construction with either prepositional phrases or adjectival phrases as landmarks. Additionally, the role played by the primary metaphor STATES ARE LOCATIONS is briefly examined in order to account for the fact the situation construction is not only employed to present a physical situation of the world as in "I have my hands on the table", but also an abstract situation (e.g. "I have cold hands"). The paper concludes with a discussion of the division between copular verbs and predicative verbs.