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COGNITIVE MODELS OBTAINED BY STUDYING BODY-PART NAMES OF HAKKA AND SHE.

Authors :
Xiaohua Deng
Xiaoling Deng
Source :
Journal of Chinese Linguistics; Jun2013, Vol. 41 Issue 2, p359-391, 33p
Publication Year :
2013

Abstract

Names of body parts have an extremely important value not only in historical linguistics, but also in grammar of which they are the cognitive basis. Some of the concept of spatial orientation is the result of extension of body-parts. Similarly, many names of things have a relationship with names of body-parts. By examining words of spatial orientation and time, we conclude that Hakka has "zoomorphic model" and "anthropomorphic model" in space and time cognition, but She used "human model" and "astronomical reference" to understand the spatial orientation, and we also found that there are some problems in studying etymology. By examining some of the names of things, we identified that there are many similarities when She and the Hakka naming things. They are guided by these mechanisms--" Top-down strategy ", " Part-to-whole strategy " and sometimes refer to the shape of things, character, function and other factors. We point out that the classification and the naming of things of Hakka is different from the nomenclature and classification of systematic biology. It is influenced by traditional culture, following indigenous mechanisms in classification and naming of things. There are similarities and differences of the cognitive models obtained by studying body-part names of Hakka and She. They reflected the same characteristics and also unique features of cognition of human beings. The unique features confirm the "Sapir - Whorf Hypothesis". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
Chinese
ISSN :
00913723
Volume :
41
Issue :
2
Database :
Supplemental Index
Journal :
Journal of Chinese Linguistics
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
89581725