| Different approaches have been applied to exploration of prepositional polysemy for years. It has been widely accepted by cognitive linguists that prepositions are polysemous and they form their own semantic networks. For example, Lakoff (1987), Brugman (1988), and Tyler and Evans (2001) provide us with models of semantic network for the preposition over. Goddard (2002) takes on as an example to study the semantics of spatial prepositions in terms of verbal explication. More approaches have been applied to semantics of preposition such as the geometrical approach, the topological approach, and the functional approach. All these approaches mentioned above are, in fact, different ways of the categorization of meaning.There are two opposing approaches towards categories and categorization-the classical theory originated from Aristotelian times and the prototype theory proposed by Rosch in 1975. They hold totally different positions on the definition of category and derive their own assumptions from that. The prototype theory rather than the classicaltheory is assumed to comply with human cognition since support could be obtained from the research in the fields of anthropology, sociolinguistics, and psychology. It has been applied to the explanation of aspects of linguistics covering categories within phonology, morphology, semantics, and syntax. As an inherently simple preposition, in has not been paid much attention to. Generally speaking, three approaches-the geometrical approach, the topological approach, and the functional approach have been applied to the research of in, except the prototype approach. So the present study intends to make an attempt to investigate semantic structure of in from a prototypical perspective.This dissertation presumes that for all prepositions there are semantic networks, exhibiting prototypical effect. Based on the assumption, the network for in is constructed. Although the methodology for the determination of primary sense and other senses is borrowed from Tyler and Evans (2001), analyses of all senses of in and the internal structure of network they construct do reflect the prototypical effect. Therefore, it can be asserted that any preposition has the prototypical nature of semantic structure. All senses for a certain preposition are not arbitrarily listed, but organized as a radial network from the prototypical through less prototypical to the marginal.It is acknowledged in the present study that Tyler and Evans (2001) offers a more logical methodology and reasonable description of semantic networks for "over" in respect of space. But they have not investigated from the prototypical perspective the status of each sense, the association between senses, and the semantic overlaps with other prepositions.The dissertation remedies the defect, presenting a more reasonable model for the study of prepositional semantics. Prototype theory in cognitive linguistics inspires us in teaching in that it can explain why we often meet with difficulties in choosing a proper preposition in a certain context from a few possibilities.This dissertation is composed of six chapters.Chapter One serves as an overall view of this dissertation, which presents to readers the objectives, significance, and organization of this dissertation.Chapter Two renders an overview of prepositional polysemous networks. A definition of prepositional polysemy is given before different views towardsprepositional semantic networks. It is explained that any approach towards prepositional polysemy is, as a matter of fact, categorization of meanings in different ways.Chapter Three aims to establish the hypothesis of the present study. It introduces two opposing approaches towards categories and categorization-classical theory and prototype theory. Emphasis is placed on prototype theory, which serves as the theoretical basis for the present study. The outline of hypothesis on in is drawn after a brief review on previous studies.Chapter Four is devoted to elaborate analyses of the semantic ne...
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