HOW SEEING IS DIFFERENT FROM LOOKING A COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE ON VERB-PARTICLE CONSTRUCTIONS WITH LOOK AND SEE

Abstract

In Cognitive linguistics verb-particle (VP) constructions are treated as compositional and analyzable. The particles when combined with the verbs contribute to the overall meaning in the form of image schemas. This article compares the verbparticle constructions with look and see. It aims at analyzing the nuances of meaning of two synonymous verbs that combine with spatial particles and examines the image schemas associated with them. When the corresponding image schemas are activated they influence the VP constructions, thus they bring forth new evidence for the embodied nature of language and thought. This study also uses the theoretical framework of Construction Grammar to focus on the different ways of processing spatial and non-spatial VP constructions.

Keywords

• cognitive approach
• verb-particle constructions
• image schemas
• see
• look