Reflections on the Functional Characterization of Spatial Prepositions

Abstract

In his research on spatial prepositions, Vandeloise raised the basic question of whether they are really spatial in nature. He clearly established the importance—if not the predominance—of functional considerations. In the case of in, for example, the container function is at least as important as spatial inclusion; likewise, the support function is central to the meaning of on. Accepting the validity of this insight leaves certain issues unresolved, such as the relative weight of spatial and functional factors and how they relate to one another. And more specifically, if the functions in question are really fundamental, why is the containing or supporting element expressed grammatically as the preposition’s object (in contrast to verbs like contain and support, which choose it as their subject)? These matters are addressed in the context of a broader examination of grammar viewed as a product and instrument of embodied cognition and thus reflective of how we apprehend and interact with the world.

Keywords

• cognitive grammar
• spatial prepositions
• embodied cognition
• conceptual archetypes