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Studies on Tautology in the framework of the Mental Space Theory

Research Project

Project/Area Number 06610454
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Research Field 仏語・仏文学
Research InstitutionThe University of Tokyo

Principal Investigator

SAKAHARA Shigeru  The University of Tokyo, College of Arts and Sciences, Professor, 教養学部, 教授 (40153902)

Project Period (FY) 1994 – 1995
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 1995)
Budget Amount *help
¥1,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000)
Fiscal Year 1995: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
Fiscal Year 1994: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
KeywordsTautology / Copular sentence / Mental space / Identifying sentence / Descriptive sentence / Category / Prototype / Extralinguistic meaning / メンタル-スペース
Research Abstract

I studied tautology and clarified the mechanism by which tautological copular sentences 'X be X', usually taken to be meaningless in the level of semantics, transmit various interpretations in their actual use. Copular sentences in natural language have two usages which are quite similar in form but sharply different in meaning : identifying sentences assign values to non-referential noun phrases (ex. 'The author of the Fleurs du Mal is Baudelaire.') ; descriptive sentences add properties to objects which are already identified (ex. 'Baudelaire is the author of the Fleurs du Mal.'). Tautological copular sentences have four uses in all : identifying sentence and its negation, descriptive sentences have four uses in all : identifying sentence and its negation, descriptive sentence and its negation. I studied each of them by assembling and analysing examples and constructed an integral theory of tautology in terms of categorization based on the prototype semantics. I showed thus that usual tautological sentences are descriptive sentences and that they can bring about various interpretations according to the categorization presupposed in the context of utterance. I also showed the specificity of identifying tautology and the mechanism of its interpretations. This research is a part of the project to construct a model for accounting for semantic phenomena which lie outside of conventional meaning. In order to study relations between language and knowledge, I also studied indirect object constructions in French, typological variance from the viewpoint of congnitive linguistics, the Japanese deictic verb of movement "kuru" (to come) and its compound forms, metaphors in the framework of the Mental Space theory.

Report

(3 results)
  • 1995 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 1994 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (14 results)

All Other

All Publications (14 results)

  • [Publications] 坂原茂: "認知言語学とタイポロジー" 言語. 23-9. 27-34 (1994)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1995 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 坂原茂: "複合動詞「Vて来る」" 言語・情報・テクスト. 2. 109-143 (1995)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1995 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 坂原茂: "言語理解とメンタル・スペース" 電子情報通信学会技術研究報告. 94-512. 1-8 (1995)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1995 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 坂原茂: "メンタル・スペース理論の射程" 言語. 25-4. 34-41 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1995 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Sakahara, Shigeru: "ninchi-gengogaku-to typology (Congnitive linguistics and typology)" Gengo (Language). Vol.21-9. 1-32 (1994)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      1995 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Sakahara, Shigeru: "hukugou-dousi 'V-te-kuru (Compound verbs 'V+come')" Gengo・Jouhou・Text (Language, Information and Text). vol.2. 109-143 (1995)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      1995 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Sakahara, Shigeru: "gengo-rikai-to mental-space (Language understanding and mental spaces)" Denshi-Jouhou-Tuushin-Gakkai-Gijutu-Kenkyu-Houkoku (Research Report on Technology, Society fo Electronical Information Communication). vol.94-512. 1-8 (1995)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      1995 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Sakahara, Shigeru: "mental-spce-riron-no shatei (Perspective of the mental space theory)" Gengo (Language). vol.25-4. 34-41 (1996)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      1995 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 坂原茂: "認知言語学とタイポロジー" 言語. 23-9. 27-34 (1994)

    • Related Report
      1995 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 坂原茂: "複合動詞「Vて来る」" 言語・情報・テクスト. 2. 109-143 (1995)

    • Related Report
      1995 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 坂原茂: "言語理解とメンタル・スペース" 電子情報通信学会技術研究報告. 94-512. 1-8 (1995)

    • Related Report
      1995 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 坂原茂: "メンタル・スペース理論の射程" 言語. 25-4. 34-41 (1996)

    • Related Report
      1995 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 坂原茂: "Phrade Copulative en japonais" 日仏語対照研究論集. 200-214 (1994)

    • Related Report
      1994 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 坂原茂: "認知言語学とタイポロジー" 言語. 23-9. 27-34 (1994)

    • Related Report
      1994 Annual Research Report

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Published: 1994-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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