Synopses & Reviews
Using a cognitive linguistics perspective, this work provides the most comprehensive, theoretical analysis of the semantics of English prepositions available. All English prepositions are originally coded as spatial relations between two physical entities. While retaining their original meaning, prepositions have also developed a rich set of non-spatial meanings. Andrea Tyler and Vyvyan Evans argue that all the meanings are systematically related through a set of cognitive principles, emphasizing the importance of human experience with the world as the foundation for lexical meaning.
Review
'The authors present a very detailed descriptive analysis ... this well-produced and well-edited book is highly relevant for linguists interested in (cognitive) lexical semantics, polysemy, and spatial particles.' Journal of Linguistics
Synopsis
Provides a comprehensive, theoretical analysis of the semantics of English prepositions.
About the Author
Andrea Tyler is Associate Professor of Linguistics at Georgetown University. She teaches a range of courses which largely focus on applications of linguistic theory to issues of second language learning and teaching. She has published in numerous journals.Vyvyan Evans is Lecturer in Linguistics at the School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences, University of Sussex. He teaches a range of courses in general linguistics at undergraduate and post-graduate level. His research focuses on conceptual structure and semantics.
Table of Contents
Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. The nature of meaning; 2. Embodied meaning and spatial experience; 3. Towards a model of principled polysemy: spatial scenes and conceptualization; 4. The semantic network for over; 5. The vertical axis; 6. Spatial particles of orientation; 7. Bounded landmarks; 8. Conclusion; References; Index.