A Cognitive Study Of Polysemy

Polysemy,generally speaking,is a collection of two or more meanings.And a large host of studies about it have been carried out in the traditional approaches and in the cognitive approach.The traditional approaches include semantic field hypothesis,componential analysis theory,sense enumeration hypothesis and one representation hypothesis.Studies carried out in theses approaches revealed that the multiple senses of a polysemous word are associated with each other.However,these studies failed to explain why the multiple senses of the polysemous word are related to each other,nor did they explain how these senses are extended.The cognitive approaches make up the weaknesses of the traditional approaches.Linguists who study polysemy in cognitive approach take polysemy as the fruit of human cognition.They believe that the sense extension of the polysemous word is the product of human categorization and conceptualization.They also claim that conceptual metaphor and metonymy are two means that drive the sense extension.However,the previous cognitive studies on polysemy focus mainly on prepositions and body terms,while other polysemous words are relatively less touched upon.Considering the weaknesses aforementioned,this study aims to prove that the sense extension of the polysemous word is based on the prototype sense,and the extension is driven by conceptual metaphor and metonymy.Firstly,prototype theory,conceptual metaphor and metonymy are introduced.Secondly,the study attempts to reveal the roles of prototype,conceptual metaphor and metonymy in the sense extension of the polysemous word.Thirdly,a case study of words "crown," "sponge"and "board" is carried out.Through the investigation,this study reveals that the sense extension of the polysemous word is the product of categorization and conceptualization.The prototypical sense of the polysemous word is the foundation of the sense extension.Other senses are extended based on their resemblance or contiguity to the prototypical sense.Second,the sense extension of the polysemous word presents in two forms:radiation and concatenation.The radiant sense extension means that senses are extended from the prototype like the rays of the sun.The concatenate sense extension means that senses are extended from the primary prototype in chain,moving gradually from the primary prototype.Third,the new senses are extended by splitting or shifting from the prototype.And conceptual metaphor and metonymy are two mechanisms that drive the shifting and splitting respectively.This study is significant in both theoretical and practical aspects.Theoretically,this study investigated the roles of prototype,conceptual metaphor and metonymy in the sense extension of the polysemous word;besides,theories of embodied cognition are also employed to make the analysis more scientific and persuasive.Practically,this study is important to polysemous words teaching.This study made a comprehensive analysis to the sense extension of the polysemous word.And if teachers understand the sense extension mechanisms and explain them to students,both the teaching and learning efficiency of polysemous words will be improved.