内容

目次

Part 1 The conceptual framework: language and the world; language andspatial relations; the linguistic expression of spatial relations. Part 2GVeneral methodology: universals and methodology; the data base; the frame ofdata analysis. Part 3 The evolution of spatial grams: universals anddiachrony; issues of grammaticalization; nominal sources; verbal sources;evolution and the acquisition of spatial grams. Part 4 The front-back axis:front-region spatial relations; back-region spatial relations; front-region,back-region and movement; the semantic space of front-/back-region asdestination, source and point-in-path; the semantic space offront-/back-region grams and grammaticization; the morphology of front-regionand back-region grams. Part 5 Conclusion: on the emergence and evolution ofspatial grams; semantic and morphosyntactic characteristics of a semanticsubdomain; some implications of the notion of "region". Appendix A: TheSpaceCats sample. Appendix B: Coding manual. Appendix C: Meaning componentworking definitions. Appendix D: Frequency of meaning components in the database. Appendix E: Nominal sources of spatial grams.