Conceptualization of the Sensory Experience: A Frame-Based Approach

Abstract

Background. Te search for reliable means of establishing relations between sensory qualia and their conceptualization in language has given rise to several approaches, both philosophical and psychophysical. Tis paper gives a short account of today’s approaches to the problem and presents a framebased approach, which may be superior to other methods. Objective. To evaluate the efectiveness of the frame-based approach to the conceptualization of sensory qualia in language. Te semantic feld “Loud” in the Italian language is analyzed, as it ofers a unique case: Italian does not have a lexeme whose main meaning would be translated into English as “loud” or into Russian as “громкий” (gromkiĭ). Design. In the feld “Loud”, nine adjectives were analyzed by means of dictionary defnitions, frequency in the Italian language corpus, and native speakers’ usage. Results. Te fndings reveal a frame structure of the feld consisting of 11 frames, which can be grouped into two large entities: sounds proper and objects that emit sounds. Te parameters that underpin the frame structure are vocal/non-vocal, intentional/spontaneous, explosive/non-explosive, one source/multiple sources, and natural/artifcial. Another important result is a more accurate description of lexemes involved in the current feld (the main adjectives are alto, forte, and rumoroso). Conclusion. Te frame-based approach provides an efective means of studying the relationship between sensory qualia and their conceptualization in language.

Keywords

• sensory experience
• frame-based approach
• conceptualization of qualia
• corpora