Language conceptualization of a situation of perception of a distance attribute (expressed by english spatial adjectives)

Abstract

The article is devoted to a problem of perception of distance reflected in the language. The language reflects not only physical space but also a way of perceiving it by native speakers. The aim of the research is revealing peculiarities of language conceptualization of spatial relations expressed by English spatial attributes. To reach the aim some issues helping to reveal peculiarities of language conceptualization of a distance attribute are analyzed, that is designing the denotative situation of perception and its lexical nomination; the correlation of the denotative, mental and linguistic situations of an object conceptualization expressed by English spatial adjectives and a noun; studying Figure-ground organization; examining perceptivity as a semantic category; revealing features of language conceptualization of a situation of perception of a distance attribute (expressed by English spatial adjectives). The research is based on samples taken from the British National Corpus. The study reveals cognitive patterns of language conceptualization of a situation of perception of a distance attribute expressed by English spatial adjectives: «the subject of perception – [a distance + a perceived object], «the subject of perception – [a distance + perceived objects], «the subject of perception – [an object + a distance + an object]. Figure-ground opposition also plays an important part in language conceptualization of perception of a distance attribute if there are two spatial objects in a sentence - the one expressed by a spatial adjective and a noun and the other one located in the perception zone of an observer.