Semantics of Japanese Spatial Nouns mae (FRONT) and ushiro (BACK) : Its Referential Ambiguity and the Cognitive Connection with the Vertical Axis

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Other Title
  • 日本語の空間名詞「前・後ろ」が表す空間について : 指示の曖昧性および上下軸との関係性
  • ニホンゴ ノ クウカン メイシ 「 マエ ・ ウシロ 」 ガ アラワス クウカン ニ ツイテ : シジ ノ アイマイセイ オヨビ ジョウゲジク ト ノ カンケイセイ

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This paper aims to clarify the major determinants of the construal involved in Japanese spatial nouns mae (FRONT) and ushiro (BACK). Basically, mae and ushiro encode the anterior-posterior axis based on the functional asymmetry of our front-back structured body. Their spatial construals can be changed depending on the perspective of the conceptualizer even in the case where the reference object has an intrinsic front-back orientation. First, when mae and ushiro are used with an intrinsic reference frame, two different spatial construals for each expression are possible by employing two different types of reference points. On the other hand, in the case of a relative reference frame, the locational relations between the conceptualizer and objects will be given priority over intrinsic features of the reference object. In addition, the target object is always located between the conceptualizer and a reference object in Japanese language. In some cases, ue (UP) and shita (DOWN) are used for representing the front-back relation. This indicates that the anterior-posterior axis encoded by mae and ushiro is conceptualized as a spatial category partially overlapping with the vertical axis encoded by ue and shita in Japanese.

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  • 言語科学論集

    言語科学論集 20 1-14, 2014-12

    Department of Linguistic Science, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University

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