UP à contre-sens

Abstract

Our aim in this article is to point out that mainstream spatial models (either world-based or experience-based) prove largely inadequate for the analysis of verbal particles in English. In particular the particle UP (vs DOWN) definitely cannot be confined to simply expressing “upward movement” and non-spatial uses are very frequent. We propose here an alternative model for UP in the general framework of the Theory of the Interlocutive Relation (Douay & Roulland 2014), based on systemic operations of language which can account for spatial and non-spatial structural patterns as well. The key-concept in this research is a systemic definition of language based on self-reference and self-organization rather than more or less “obvious” environment-induced stimuli.

Keywords

• UP
• DOWN
• verbal particle
• spatial model
• system
• systemic