Review of Cognitive Linguistics. Published under the auspices of the Spanish Cognitive Linguistics Association - Volume 24, Issue 1, 2026

Abstract

The macro-event is a fundamental concept in Talmyan motion event typology. A large literature has been documented concerning the status of a particular language in the two-way typology that he proposes, but relatively little literature focusing on the morphosyntactic dimension of the macro-event per se, let alone on the cognitive motivation of the macro-event. This article analyzes the types of macro-events expressed by directional complement constructions in Mandarin, and argues that the macro-events are image-schema-based. The simple image schemas give rise to a more complex three-event-semantic-model, termed (point)-to-point, or to be more particular, (point a)-to-point b, in which to represents the affecting or intervening event, point a represents the original state of point b, point b is the resulting event. point a is usually implied, not explicitly expressed, so it is put in brackets. This model has advantages over Talmy’s main event and co-event structure in that it can largely predict the meaning-form mapping, and explain more constructions. The findings have some implications for cognitive semantics: In grammar, languages generally prioritize the third event; the complex event model might be motivated by simple image schemas.

Abstract

The present study investigates Possessive Constructions and domains of possession in Kalhori Kurdish (KK) from a Cognitive Linguistics perspective to reveal the arrangement of constituents and relationships between the head (possessee) and dependent (possessor). This qualitative descriptive-analytical study collected data by interviewing KK speakers in Iran. The results indicate that KK speakers employ both the B-construction (­hin-e­) and Be-construction (ha) at the clause level to denote predicative possession characterized by [−whole-part, −kinship] relationships and [+alienable] ownership. Additionally, KK speakers were found to utilize the H-construction (/dire/) at the clause level associated with [+whole-part, +kinship] relationships and [±alienable] ownership. KK speakers also employ possession splits in nominal/attributive possession by attaching the possessor, marked by the [+human] feature, to the possessee, marked by the [±human] feature, as an affix.

Abstract

Conceptual Metaphor Theory describes metaphorical mappings as correspondences between domains. Nevertheless, the interrelations of the mapped elements still need to be characterised. This study analyses metaphorical mappings from one situational frame in the cooking domain in American English and Peninsular Spanish. The aims are to elucidate to what extent each language primes particular semantic roles in the boiling frame for metaphorisation and explore the possible cultural implications of these cross-linguistic differences. The qualitative analysis reveals the contrastive relevance of semantic roles in frame mappings. In addition, the frequencies of boil and hervir metaphorical senses determine the degree of entrenchment and salience of metaphors cross-linguistically. The results suggest that the English boiling frame has a considerably broader scope as a source than the Spanish hervir frame. Additionally, the paper contrasts the relative saliency of the semantic roles mapped in those metaphors shared by both languages. Finally, cultural implications are discussed.

Abstract

The paper investigates intertextual satire in media discourse from the cognitive linguistic perspective. Within the frameworks of conceptual blending theory and the theory of precedent-related phenomena, we examine the cognitive processes of producing and understanding intertextual satire. By modelling conceptual integration networks, we aim to specify the cognitive mechanisms and operations involved in decoding intertextual satirical articles, drawing on examples from Private Eye magazine. The study demonstrates that the basic cognitive mechanism involved in creating intertextual satire is blending, and, in contrast to ironic utterances, which involve two contexts, in intertextual satire one and the same scenario unfolds in three contexts: real, fictional, and satirical. Thus, the blend that occurs as a result of combining real and fictional scenarios is verbalised and obvious to the recipient. The emergent structure, based on the blend, represents the intended (non-verbalised) meaning of intertextual satire, namely indirect criticism of the real situation under focus.

Abstract

Speakers regularly use their experiences of spatial relations to construe linguistic meaning in metaphorical and non-metaphorical ways. Still, we have yet to identify the meaning-bearing functions that different spatial relations commonly serve. This paper focuses on into relations. Using data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English, we apply an Embodied Scenes approach to identify the categories of concepts that are regularly construed with ‘into relations’ and the actions that are commonly involved. More generally, we aim to show how spatial metaphors can be systematically studied by investigating the collocates of prepositions and prepositional constructions.

Abstract

This exploratory case study contributes to the ongoing “methodological consolidation” in Applied Cognitive Linguistics (Wirag et al. 2022). It does so by examining the relationship between pre-service English language teachers’ attitudes toward grammar teaching and their acceptance of an innovative pedagogical approach to the Count/Mass Distinction (CMD) inspired by Cognitive Grammar (CG). Eleven first-year college students at a teacher-training University College in Belgium participated in the study. A questionnaire was used to determine the participants’ beliefs about grammar and grammar teaching. Elements of a CG approach to the CMD were integrated into a lesson plan and presented to the participants. The participants were then divided into two random focus groups. The interviews followed a semi-structured format, and a thematic analysis was performed on the transcripts. The data suggests that the participants’ prior knowledge and experience, the ecological validity of the innovation, and their perceived capacity to integrate the resource into their practice, all affect their assessment of a CG-informed innovation, with the latter being the most likely to impede application. The study sheds light on how pre-service teachers’ beliefs impact the adoption of innovative pedagogical methods for teaching grammar and suggests ways to make CG more accessible to practitioners.

Abstract

This paper is situated within Cognitive Translation Studies (CTS). It follows Halverson’s Gravitational Pull Hypothesis (2003, 2010, 2017, 2024), a framework that explains the translation process and its outcome by invoking the cognitive mechanisms of the bilingual mind. The paper adopts the cognitive, multi-method approach of the GPH to describe and compare the use of Spanish passive constructions in a multilingual comparable corpus of translated and non-translated texts. In doing so, it pushes the boundaries of the model by: (a) following an onomasiological rather than a semasiological approach; (b) focusing on constructions rather than lexical items; and (c) explicitly incorporating the aspect of translator socialisation into the hypothesis formulation, thereby taking into account the situatedness of translation. The results provide evidence in support of the GPH, as salience of a construction in the source or target language leads to its overrepresentation in the translated texts, and non-salience leads to its underrepresentation.

Abstract

In recent years, a number of scholars have expressed doubts about the productivity of the concept of meaning and its associated methodology for modern lexical semantics. This article aims to examine the current situation by comparing it with the process of transition from classical to quantum physics. Empirical data that challenge classical interpretations are briefly analyzed in a special section, whilst the subsequent sections address alternative theories that propose new methodological frameworks. Particular attention is paid to the ad hoc СС & Ms theory developed by Daniel Casasanto and colleagues, though Hans-Jörg Schmid’s Entrenchment-and-Conventionalization Model and the Motivation & Sedimentation Model formulated by Jordan Zlatev and colleagues are also touched upon. In the final section, frame semantics, as presented by Charles Fillmore, is revisited, with a focus on his dichotomy of U-semantics and T-semantics. A significant result of the analysis of Fillmore’s perspectives is the assertion that the concept of frame in Fillmore’s construal can serve as an alternative to the concept of meaning in its classical interpretation.

Abstract

The embodiment hypothesis holds that human cognition and mental representations are influenced by the body and its physical interaction with the world. Research on the representation of the human body in language and how it is divided/categorized into parts and subsections is thus vital in comprehending how language communities perceive the body and how it is viewed within its cultural context. This paper investigates how the body is categorized in Dholuo, a Nilotic language spoken primarily in Kenya, East Africa. Dholuo is an understudied language with limited research in linguistics, particularly in cognitive linguistics. This study pioneers the exploration of the body-part categorization system in Dholuo by providing a comprehensive overview of body-part classification within the language. The objective is to elucidate the theoretical implications of this system, particularly emphasizing the relationship between language and culture. The study also explores how culture significantly influences the conceptualization and usage of language, particularly concerning body-part vocabulary.

Abstract

The article sets out to examine the entertainment source domain and its scenarios as realised in the media discourse surrounding political events in Belarus in 2021. Metaphorical scenarios are investigated considering different viewpoints, such as those presented in Lithuanian, German, and Russian media. The methodological framework is a blend of Cognitive Linguistics and Critical Discourse Studies, embracing the viewpoint (Sweetser, 2012), Critical Metaphor Analysis (Charteris-Black, 2005), metaphorical scenarios (Musolff, 2016), and framing (Hart, 2014). The results demonstrate that the entertainment domain acquires multiple scenarios depending on the viewpoint. The evaluation attached to the scenarios is mostly negative; however, the viewpoint adopted in Lithuanian and German discourses is very different from Russian discourse. The former is based on Western values and targets the authoritarian regime, whereas the latter is Russian-centric, with the Western world posited as a major threat to the Belarusian and Russian societies.

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