Element of Space in Bengali And Kannada A Cognitive Linguistic Approach

Abstract

[i] newlineABSTRACT newlineUnderstanding the spatial embodiment and spatial elements in language and newlinecognition has been studied in various scholarly works domains. The perception newlineand conceptualisation of spatial markers and indicators in any language newlinesignificantly contribute to the overall application of the same. The present study newlineendeavours to describe the nature of spatial elements present in two Indian newlinelanguages belonging to two different language families Bengali (an Indo-Aryan newlinelanguage) and Kannada (a Dravidian language) in the light of research in newlineCognitive Linguistics. It is a cross-linguistic study to find the similarities and newlinedifferences in understanding three-axial spatial projective terms (i.e. Up/Down, newlineFront/Back and Left/Right) and basic locative case markers in both languages. newlineThe data has been collected using a pictorial questionnaire from the native newlinespeakers of both languages. The responses have been noted and analysed with the newlinehelp of pie-charts containing the percentage of responses and representation in the newlinematrices. The study undertook an effort to delineate some features such as newlinegeometrical and functional aspects, the role they play in the spatial interactions newlinebetween the objects, and how it is construed in different frames of reference. The newlinethesis comprises of five chapters the first chapter deals with the introduction, the newlinesecond deals with the literature review pertaining to the study, the third chapter newlineinvolves an analysis of spatial relations between objects in the vertical dimension, newlinethe fourth chapter contains the analysis of spatial relations between objects along newlinethe horizontal dimension and the final chapter contains the analysis of all the newlinespatial relations between objects combining from both the dimensions, i.e. vertical newlineand horizontal. newline