A Cognitive Linguistic Analysis of the English Preposition ‘For’

초록

The purpose of this study is to analyze the polysemy of the English preposition ‘for’. To investigate the polysemy of 'for', this study adopts a cognitive linguistics approach. The study provides reasons why the framework of Cognitive Linguistics was chosen to research the polysemic nature of ‘for’. Specifically, the study follows the methodology outlined by Taylor (1995), which emphasizes prototype theory and semantic extensions of meanings rather than rigid, countable definitions of words. The study identifies multiple senses that are close to the most prototypical meaning of ‘for’ and many peripheral senses that may seem unrelated to the core meaning. The study suggests that the various meanings of ‘for’ emerge through cognitive processes rather than through discrete, isolated definitions. This implies that instead of memorizing word meanings, learners may benefit more from understanding how meaning is shaped by contextual usage.

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