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Grammars of Space Editor: Explorations in Cognitive Diversity Stephcn C Grammars of Space Editor: Explorations in Cognitive Diversity Stephcn C. Levinson Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. Nij~negen Edi~or,s: This scries looks at the role of language in human cognition - language in both its Stephen C.Levinson ~~niversal.psychological aspects and its variable, cult~~ralaspects. Studies will focus on the rclation between semantic and conceptual categories and processes. especially as Mci.~I'lcoic~k Ir~.s/i/~irr,/hrl-'.\j~c.holirr,~~,isric~.r these are illuminated by cross-linguistic and cross-cultural studies, the st~~dyof language acquisition and concept~~aldevelopment. and the study of the relation of speech pro- David P. Wilkins duction and comprehension to other kinds of behaviour in social context. Books come Cer7ror,firApho.sio (117rlRelorc,tl I>i.sor~l~~~s.VANCHCS. M(cl.r;rrc,:. Cr11~fi)rriici principally, though not exclusively. from research associated with the Max Planck Insti- tute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, and in particular the Language and Cognition Group. Books in this serics: I. Jan Nuyts and Eric Pederson (eds.) LLIII~LLCISC(III~Coiice/~.l)t~r~~li;~tio~i 2. David McNeill (ed.) LLOI~LI~I~C(11id Gex.l)t~~re 3. Melissa Bowernian and Stephen C. Levinson (eds.) LLIII~LIOS~Accl~lisilio~i clnrl Co~~cc~pf~r~rIDev~lo~~ii~eiif 4. Gunter Senft (ed.) Sysrc.117.s r!j'Norizirial Cltrs.r~ficnriori 5. Stephen C. Levinson Spclce iil LCI~I~LILI,~~u~idCogrlitio~i 6. Stephen C. Levinson and David P. Wilkins (eds.) G1*~11ii1iic1r.sof SI~LI~C CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS CAM8RII)GI~UNIVERSII'Y PRESS Cambridge. New York. Melbourne. Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, SZo Paulo Cambridge University Press Contents The Edinburgh Building. Cambridge CB2 2RU. UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/978052167 178 1 0 Cambridge University Press 2006 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without List qfjgures page ix the written permission of Cambridge University Press. List of tables xi First published 2006 List of contributors xiv Preface xv Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge A ccrtcrlogc~erc.corcl,for t1ii.s poblicutio17 i.s ~zvcril~zhl~~,fronithe British Lihrnry 1 The background to the study of the language of space STEPHEN C. LEVINSON AND DAVID P. WILKINS Lihrczr:~~f'Cori,~rc..s.s Ccztcrloguing in Publication clntu 1.1 Spatial language and cognition Grammars of space /edited by Stephen C. Levinson and David P. Wilkins 1.2 Nature of this book p. cm. -(Language, culture, and cognition: 6) 1.3 The language sample Includes bibliographical references and index. 1.4 Controlled comparison: the stimuli ISBN 0-52 1-85583-7 - ISBN 0-521 -67178-7 (pbk.) 1.5 Patterns of variation I. Space and time in language. 2. Psycholinguistics. 3. Semantics. 1.6 Conclusion I. Levinson, Stephen C. 11. Wilkins, David (David P.) 111. Title. IV. Scries. P37.5.S65G736 2006 2 Towards an Arrernte grammar of space 4011.43- dc22 20050158 18 DAVID P. WILKINS 2.1 The language and its speakers ISBN- I3 978-0-521-85583-9 hardback 2.2 Brief overview of the main features of Arrernte grammar ISBN-I0 0-52 1-85583-7 hardback 2.3 Topological relations ISBN- I3 978-0-52 1-67 178- 1 paperback 2.4 Motion ISBN- I0 0-52 1-67 178-7 paperback 2.5 Frames of reference 2.6 Conclusion 3 Sketch of a Jaminjung grammar of space EVA SCHULTZE-BERNDT 3.1 Introduction 3.2 The language and its speakers 3.3 Grammatical and lexical resources for spatial description 3.4 Topological relations 3.5 Motion 3.6 Frames of reference 3.7 Summary Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of 4 Prolegomenon to a Warrwa grammar of space URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and WILLIAM B. MCGREGOR does not guarantee that any content on such websites is. or will remain, accurate or appropriate. 4.1 The Warrwa language and its speakers 4.2 Overview of Warrwa grammar 4.3 Topological relations 9.4 Motion 4.4 Motiol~ 9.5 Frames of rcfcrcncc 4.5 I;ramc\ ol' rcl'cre~~cc 9.6 Conclusion 4.0 Conclus~on 10 Elements of the grammar of space in Ewe 5 The languagc of space in YCli Dnye FELIX K. AMEKA AND JAMES ESSEGBEY S'flil'HI;N ('. 1.EVINSON 10.1 The lang~~agcant1 its rclcvancc for spatial Inng~~ngc 5. 1 Thc language ant1 CLIIILI~C of Rosscl 1sl;11id 5.2 Somc salient I'cnturc\ ol' the gralnmar 10.2 Grammatical ovcrvicw 5.3 Tol)ological rclations 10.3 Topological rclations 5.4 Frame\ ol' rcl'crcncc 10.4 F~.amc~of rcfcrcncc 5.5 Dcisis 10.5 Motion 5.6 Motion tlcscription 10.6 Concluion 5.7 Conclusions 11 Spatial language in Tamil 6 PI-olegomenato a Kilivila grammar of space ERIC PEDERSON C; U N T 1: R S E N F I' I I. I Ta~iiilant1 Tamils 6. l Introtluction 1 1.2 Grammatical sketch 6.2 Kilivila - the Inngl~agcoi'tlic Trobriand Islantlcrs 1 1.3 Topological rclations 6.3 To1)ological relalions 1 1.4 Motion cvcnts 6.4 Motion 1 1.5 Deixis and ~~;IITICSof r~ferc~~cc 6.5 Frnmc 01' rcl'crcncc 1 1.6 Conclusions 6.6 Summary ant1 conclutling remarks 12 A grammar of space in Japanese 7 A sketch of the grammar of space in Tzeltal SOTARO KlTA PENEI.OI'E l3ROWN 12.1 Introduction 7.1 Introduction 12.2 Very brief g~lmmaticaloverview of the langungc 7.2 Grammatical resources for spatial description 12.3 Location 7.3 Static location 12.4 Motion 7.4 Motion 12.5 Contcxt~~alIhctors for the choice oi' I'rnlncs of rcfcrcncc 7.5 Frame.; of rd'crcncc 12.6 Conclusions 7.6 Conclusion 13 Some properties of spatial description in Dutch 8 Spatial reference in Yukatek Maya: a survey MIRIAM VAN STADEN, MELISSA ROWERMAN AND J~~RGENIlOHNEMEYER AND CHRISTEL STOLZ MARIET VERHELST 8. I Introtluction 13.1 Introduction 8.2 The langu;~gcand its speakers 13.2 Di~tch:thc lang~~agcand its speakers S..3 Somc clement\ of YM morphosyntnx 13.3 Grammatical background to spatial descriptions in Dutch 8.4 Topological rclations 13.4 Topological rclations 8.5 Motion 13.5 Motion descriptions 8.0 fr;imcs of rcfcrcncc 13.6 Conclusion 8.7 Conclutlin: remarks 13.7 Discufiion 9 Approaching space in Til-iyci 21-ammar 14 Patterns in the data: towards a semantic typology of spatial S I: I< Ci l O M I': I R A description 9. I Introtluction: Tiriyh and its spcnkcrs STEPHEN C. I.EVINSON AND DAVID P. WII.KINS 9.2 A brief ovcrvicw ol'Tiriy6 grammar 14.1 Universals and particulars: vari~~tionand its limit in scmantic 9.3 Topology typology ... VIII Contents 14.2 Topology 14.3 Motion 14.4 Frames of reference 14.5 Conclusions Appendices References Author index Language/Language,filmily index Subject index 1 The background to the study of the language of space Stephen C. Levirzsorz and David I? Wilkins 1.1 Spatial language and cognition Spatial cognition is a fi~nda~nentaldesign requirement for every mobile species with a fixed territory or home base. And there is little doubt that it plays a central role in human thinking and reasoning. Indeed, the evidence for that centrality is all around us, in our language where spatial ~uetaphorsare used for Inany other domains, in the obvious cognitive utility of diagrams and tables, and in the special role of place in memory. The idea that space is a fundamental intuition built into our nature goes back at least to Kant (1768), and the idea that our apperception of space is governed by cognitive universals informs much current cognitive science. But in some ways human spatial cognition is puzzling. First, it is unspec- tacular - we are not as a species, compared to bees or pigeons, bats or whales, particularly good at finding our way around. Second, hurnan spatial cognition is obviously variable - hunters, sailors and taxi-drivers are in a different league from the ordinary city-dweller. This suggests that Inany aspects of effective spatial thinking depend on cultural factors, which in turn suggests limits to cognitive universals in this area. The language of space becomes an important focus of research, then, for a number of reasons. First, it may help to reveal the underlying conceptual struc- ture in human spatial thinking, which may be much hardel- to extract from an inarticulate species. Naturally. univel-sals of spatial thinking should be reflected in universal conceptualizations ill spatial language. Second, and contrastively, the very variability of language promises an interesting insight into the possible cultural variability of spatial thinking. Third, this reasoning presumes a close correlation between spatial language and spatial thinking - essentially, a (pos- sibly partial) isomorphism between semantics and conceptual structure. Where we have linguistic universals, the correlation may be presu~nedto be driven by cognitive universals. But where we have cultural divergences, language may not so much reflect underlying cognition, as actively drive it. All this suggests a natural line of research, namely a parallel, independent investigation of spatial language and human spatial thinking. In a concerted 2 Steplzen C. Levinsorz and Davirl I? Wi1kin.c Background to the study of the language of space effort over nearly a decade, in a project involving over forty researchers and as many languages, researchers at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Psycholin- guistics have tried to pursue these parallel investigations in as many cultures Stasis Kinesis of independent tradition as possible.
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