WORDS COUNT, BUT THOUGHTS SHIFT: A FRAME-BASED ACCOUNT TO CONCEPTUAL SHIFTS IN NOUN COUNTABILITY

WORDS COUNT, BUT THOUGHTS SHIFT: A FRAME-BASED ACCOUNT TO CONCEPTUAL SHIFTS IN NOUN COUNTABILITY

Author:  N.S. Beckmann, P. Indefrey, W. Petersen

Affiliation:  Heinrich-Heine-University

Abstract:  The current paper proposes a frame-based account to conceptual shifts in the countability domain. We interpret shifts in noun countability as syntactically driven metonymy. Inserting a noun in an incongruent noun phrase, that is combining it with a determiner of the other countability class, gives rise to a re-interpretation of the noun referent. We assume lexical entries to be three-fold frame complexes connecting conceptual knowledge representations with language-specific form representations via a lemma level. Empirical data from a lexical decision experiment are presented, that support the assumption of such a lemma level connecting perceptual input of linguistic signs to conceptual knowledge.

Keywords:  countability, mass/count distinction, conceptual shift, metonymy, frames, lexical decision, lemma.

References:  Beckmann, N.S., & Indefrey, P. (in prep.). Counting thought: Countability Shifts in light of the concept-lemma distinction (working title).
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For citation:  Beckmann, N. S., Indefrey, P., & Petersen, W. (2018). Words count, but thoughts shift: a frame-based account to conceptual shifts in noun countability. Voprosy Kognitivnoy Lingvistiki, 2, 79-89.

Pages:  79-89