词义扩展的理据性和认知模式探析

Cognitive Models and Motivations of the Extension of Word Meaning

索绪尔符号理论认为语言的形式和意义之间的关系是任意性的,因而它无法解释语言发展过程中普遍存在的一词多义现象。认知语言学从独特的人类认知视角,发现了词义扩展存在着理据性,即主要是通过人类的隐喻和转喻思维实现的。从词汇意义扩展的理据性,以及词义扩展的主要认知模式——意象图式模式、隐喻模式和转喻模式中不难发现这个现象。

Saussure＇s theory of semiotics, which says that the form and the meaning of language are arbitrary, could not explain the commonly existing phenomenon of polysemy in the course of language development. So, from the unique angle of cognition of human beings, the cognitive linguists found that there did have some motivations in the meaning extension, which mainly came from the metaphorical and metonymic ways of thinking. This paper mainly discussed the phenomenon from the angle of the motivations of meaning extension and its three main cognitive models, including the models of image schemas, metaphor and metonymy.