Similarity and Variation in the Distribution of Spatial Expressions Across Three Languages

Kristen Johannes, Jenny Wang, Anna Papafragou, Barbara Landau

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Languages of the world universally encode spatial relationships between objects. However, speakers employ a variety of different language-specific expressions, which may encode culture-specific information about objects and/or different spatial concepts. We ask whether aspects of the encoding of spatial relations across languages nevertheless show common underlying spatial concepts as reflected in the distributions of spatial expressions over spatial sub-types. We examine a set of hypothesized distinctions within the spatial relational concepts of Containment and Support across three typologically distinct languages: English, Hindi, and Mandarin. We find support for two related hypotheses concerning common patterns of variation in (a) speakers' use of select "basic" spatial expressions, and (b) languages' inventory and distribution of expressions across hypothesized Containment and Support subtypes. The results underscore the presence of strong universal similarities in both the extension of basic spatial expressions across relations and in the principles governing the diversity of expressions available for encoding particular relations.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 37th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, CogSci 2015
EditorsDavid C. Noelle, Rick Dale, Anne Warlaumont, Jeff Yoshimi, Teenie Matlock, Carolyn D. Jennings, Paul P. Maglio
PublisherThe Cognitive Science Society
Pages997-1002
Number of pages6
ISBN (Electronic)9780991196722
StatePublished - 2015
Event37th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society: Mind, Technology, and Society, CogSci 2015 - Pasadena, United States
Duration: Jul 23 2015Jul 25 2015

Publication series

NameProceedings of the 37th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, CogSci 2015

Conference

Conference37th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society: Mind, Technology, and Society, CogSci 2015
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityPasadena
Period7/23/157/25/15

Keywords

  • Spatial cognition
  • cross-linguistic analysis
  • semantics
  • spatial language

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Cognitive Neuroscience

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