| Abstract |
Similarly to the spatial concept of "up" and "down" or "before" and "after", the dimension concept is also basic for us. We understand the abstract concepts of "emotion", "quantity" and "density" thro...ugh the dimension concept. The cognitive processes which lead to the understanding of abstract concepts are reflected in the polysemy of dimensional adjectives, so the study on the polysemy of dimensional adjectives can contribute greatly to the understanding of these cognitive processes in humans. However, so far most studies of dimensional adjectives focused on syntax, grammar, or on the polysemy of one-dimensional adjectives at the linguistic expression level or at the conceptual level. In this study, we focus on the Japanese dimensional adjectives kou-haku, and we analyze their polysemy both on the level of linguistic expression and on the conceptual level. The results are as follows. First, at the linguistic expression level, expansive meanings of kou and haku are quite asymmetric. One reason for this is that the parts of background knowledge which activate during the extension of meaning are different; the other reason is that the characteristics of the relevant object itself result in the asymmetry of language performance. But despite the fact that they are asymmetrical at the level of linguistic expression, "kou" and "haku" are derived from the same conceptual metaphor, so it can be said they are symmetrical on the conceptual level.show more
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