Dynamic Construction Of Meaning In Cognitive Frames

Language is not autonomous. Meaning is not invariant. The frame-based semantics views that meaning is constructed dynamically in the operation of frames. Cognitive frame is relevant to context, encyclopedia knowledge and social cultural factors. It’s the basic cognitive model for human beings. Frames are connected with each other through nods in the meaning net. There’re multiple concept domains in the meaning net and they can map to each other. Meaning of symbolic units maintains consistency and accessibility in the operation of frames. Semantic leaps in frames are not arbitrary. Language users construct the novel meaning of symbolic units dynamically by manipulating frames. Frame could extend or narrow within itself and shift to the other to cause semantic leaps. Concepts in frames could map into each other crossing domains. The process of semantic leaps in the operation of frames indicates the importance of categorical thinking. Frame-based semantics does not only prove that meaning is constructed dynamically but also explains that this frame-based approach deals with meaning semantically and pragmatically at the same time.This thesis discusses the dynamic construction of meaning from a frame-based perspective. And in the case study of jokes, it’s proved that the construction of meaning is a dynamic process in cognitive frames. The indeterminacy of meaning is firstly reflected in the indeterminacy of cognitive frame to which a symbolic unit belongs. In natural language use, information encoded in language is stored in frame-based cognitive models per requirements of linguistic and cognitive economy. One concept of a frame could activate the whole frame in long term memory. The activated frame involves default values of the concept. Sometimes those default values cannot fill in the slots of frame in working memory appropriately when deal with on-line processing. The root cause lies in frame-shifting. Secondly the indeterminacy of meaning reflects in the fuzzy boundary of prototype categories. Frame-shifting is not arbitrary, but rather a frame shifts to the other through shared concepts to map into each other across domains. Jokes as a form of humorous expression convey semantic and pragmatic meaning at the same time in everyday language use with the aid of frame-shifting.