Cognitive constructs
Résumé
This study considers the theoretical proposition of the conceptual domain in cognitive linguistics. A survey of the various forms of this proposition is considered and it is demonstrated to be basic to the paradigm. Two general types of conceptual domain are identified in the cognitive literature which are argued to represent fundamental differences in the object of study. The first type is shown to be based on categories of encyclopaedic semantics, the second, on categories of experiential and perceptual ontology. The discussion moves to demonstrate a fundamental weakness in the study of conceptual domains, namely the arbitrary nature of their identification. A simple example of this weakness, based on a comparison of Hungarian and English, is offered to demonstrate the importance of this problem. It is suggested that solutions to such problems lie in a more methodologically sound approach in cognitive linguistics. Lastly, the discussion concludes that it is through the combination of these two types of conceptual domain that cognitive linguistics may hope to collaborate with functional approaches to language and thus eventually fully explain language structure.