A Study on the Semantics of Preposition Of: Based on Prototype Theory and Cognitive Categorization

초록

Traditionally, with its inherent property as an unmarked grammatical entity, the preposition of has been classified as a category of function words. However, cognitive grammarians claim that the preposition of has its own meanings. From a cognitive-semantic perspective, this study aims to examine how the diverse and apparently different meanings of the preposition of are related in a cognitively-oriented way. In this study, it is proposed that based on the historical origin of of, the concept of ‘separation’ is considered as a prototypical meaning, since it is the most easily depictive and conceptualized in the spatial-physical domain of human cognition. As for the cognitive-semantic factors that categorize the multiple meanings of the preposition of, it is claimed that the semantic properties, such as the degree of prototypicality, concreteness, and lexicality, play a decisive role in determining the fuzziness in its meaning. Finally, it is suggested that a cognitive-semantic approach to the diverse meanings of the preposition of provides us with a relevant perspective to understand its multiple functions.

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