A Cognitive Analysis Of The Possessive Relations

This thesis is to discuss the genitive case from the perspective of Cognitive Linguistics. The prototypical features of the possessive relation and the different schematic meanings of the s–construction and the of–construction are the focuses of this thesis. First Cognitive Linguistics offers a new perspective of categorization. Many scholars propose different ideas to the theory of categorization. According to Aristotle's classical theory, categories are defined in terms of a conjunction of necessary and sufficient features. And later, Wittgenstein makes a big progress. He proposes the theory of family resemblances to explain the boundary of the category is fuzzy and the category is not structured on the basis of shared features, but rather by a network of overlapping similarities. The most significant step, in human categorization, is made by Rosch, who points out that human categorizations are not by means of the necessary and sufficient conditions. She introduces the prototype theory to provide people with a new angle to take full insights into our human categorization. Prototypes are used as the most salient or central members of the categories. Therefore, prototype categories are served as the cognitive reference points or models in human experiences in the world. Moreover, the basic level categories are discussed to show the priority of the basic level categories in children's acquisition.Based on the prototype theory, this thesis begins to illustrate eight prototypical features of the possessive relation. A possession gestalt is to be worked out. Some extensions from the prototype characterizations have also been mentioned. Either the extension is from the prototypical possessor or from the prototypical possessed. Even the meaning extension, which is abstract by metaphorical linking, is acceptable.Furthermore, this thesis continues to present the symbolic nature of language. Therefore, according to Taylor, Cognitive Grammar is proposed under the idea that language is inherently symbolic. In this sense, not only are the words and morphemes of a language regarded as symbolic units, but also those fixed idiomatic expressions, phrasal expressions or even an entire text can be defined as symbolic units. In line with this finding, linguistic expressions can be analyzed in terms of symbolic relations. Cognitive Grammar also attributes symbolic relations to be more abstract or schematic. As a result, a symbolic unit has a corresponding schematic unit, as the s–construction is characterized in the form of a construction schema [NP₁ POSS NP₂].With respect to the concept of schematic meanings, this thesis presents different schematic meanings of the s–construction and the of–construction respectively. We use the reference–point model to illustrate the schematic meaning of the s–construction. With reference to a mental contact, a conceptualizer locates an object by referring to a much salient object. As for the of–construction, the schematic meaning of of can be best described as the part/whole or the inherent–and–restricted–subpart relationship. Due to the different schematic meanings of the two possessive constructions, the comparison between the two constructions can offer some implications in teaching and learning the English genitives.