Semantic Conceptualization Of Polysemy Dao (道/Way) And Its Extensions: From The Perspective Of Cognitive Lingusitics

The issue of semantics has long been a dividing line between the twodistinctive, opposing schools of Cognitive Linguistics: Classical CognitiveLinguistics (CCL) and New Cognitive Linguistics (NCL). CCL linguists studylanguage just from superficial syntax of language, assuming that language isautonomous from meaning and has a formal existence which is analyzableindependently of meaning, while NCL linguists take the study of meaning as thecritical and primary basis of language. The shift of attention from CCL’s meresyntactic perspective within language itself to NCL’s meaning construction iscentral to and actually the main characteristics of NCL. Within the vast array ofNCL theories of meaning construction, there exists a variety of assumptions andframeworks on Cognitive Grammar, metaphor theory, Idealized Cognitive Model,and blended theory, etc. But up to now, there has been no literature and datashowing that any of the other scholars’ studies have concentrated on the construalof the semantic conceptualization of polysemy Dao (道/way) and its extensions inboth Chinese and English based on an interdisciplinary approach as adopted in mydissertation.This dissertation is a theoretical and empirical research on semantics,especially the semantic conceptualization of polysemy Dao (道/way) and itsextensions in light of the overarching conception that we have one cognition andwith the objective of understanding the relationships of the various distinctpolysemous senses and concepts and the other non-linguistic cognitive systems bylooking at the possible parallels between polysemous meanings and other cognitive systems in Chinese and English. A very strong characteristic of this research is thatthis approach is interdisciplinary belonging within situated, embodied andenactivist approach in cognitive science. More specifically, this study takes as theframework the Gestalt theory within the field of psychology (G), Schema theorywithin empirical philosophy (S), Recombination theory (R), and Emergent theory(E) within the field of cognitive linguistics in the analyses of the various distinctmeanings of polysemy Dao (道/way) for the purpose of trying to find out theunifying fundamental operations under which various meanings of Dao (道/way)are conceived of, manipulated, and metaphorically or metonymically extendedthrough this G-S-R-E framework of mental access principles.This dissertation, under G-S-R-E framework, further extends and perfects theNCL ideas on meaning constructions through revealing the mechanisms of semanticconceptualization of polysemy Dao (道/way) and its extensions, including theorganization of polysemous meanings of Dao (道/way) and its extensions, thefundamental components or elements that belong to and constitute the polysemoussystem, and the abstracted level of the whole polysemy and its extensions.The G-S-R-E framework adopted in this research is based on the considerationthat, up to now, there has not been established a relatively idealized framework thatis potent enough to serve as a powerful tool for the interpretation of multi-levelmeanings of Dao (道/way) and its extensions. It is of great necessity to build aframework for this study.Although the theories adopted in this research have many advantagesrespectively, each separate theory has its weaknesses in its explanatory power; in other words, the various phenomena in the multi-level meanings of Dao (道/way)could not be dealt with satisfactorily within one theory, but could be done by meansof the joint G-S-R-E framework through mutually complementing and supportingeach other in its explanation. The four laws of perception in Gestalt theory(Similarity, proximity, Closure, and Continuation) can well describe and illustratethe basic conceptual phenomena. As the primary and basic sources of cognitivelinguistics, the notion of schema is widely applied in pre-conceptual, conceptual,and linguistic organization and meaning construction by which some problems canbe solved concerning the construction of more abstract or schematic concepts. Onthe basis of the previous two theories, the last two theories (Recombination theoryand Emergence theory) can effectively tackle the most abstract, tricky linguisticphenomena: the construction of the elaborate network of the polysemous Dao (道/way) and its extensions.Significance of the research:1. This study can reveal what language does semantically, especially howsimilar our language is to other cognitive systems or how the linguistic constructionof polysemous meanings interacts and overlaps with non-linguistic cognitivesystems. This direction of study can lead us to find out with sort of certainty what issystematic or organizational in one of our human cognition----semanticconceptualization.2. The study of polysemy Dao (道/way) and its extensions indicates thatLanguage has no meaning within itself; language only serves to trigger meaningconstructions via human activities. 3. Under G-S-R-E framework, accompanied by NCL and philosophy ofexperientialist inter-subjectivism, the interpretation of the hierarchical complexityof semantic conceptualization becomes possible, which may be taken as referencepoints for the interpretation of other complex constructions of other languagephenomena.4. The study of semantic conceptualization of polysemy Dao (道/way) canshed light on the study of other areas of cognition because language guides meaningand triggers for meaning construction. In return, the study of meaning constructionin other areas, particularly in human cognition, can provide insights into thedevelopment and perfection of Cognitive Linguistics.