Cognitive maps of landmark orientation
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Martin Thiering
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the linguistic representation of environmental landmarks and topographical coordinates in two unrelated cultures, Eipo and Dene. It explores the degree to which environmental experience of landmarks and spatial orientation are reflected as cognitive maps. Furthermore, topographical information of the immediate environment is represented as cognitive maps of topographical coordinates. These coordinates constitute a regional-specific gestalt. The data shows the influence and constructive process of environmental landmarks and cultural heritage (e.g. practices, myths) on the shaping of spatial categorization. Landmarks, defined as any kind of cultural-specific environmental reference points (mountains, rivers, houses, trees, or rocks) are used as proximate course-maintaining devices in the encoding of figure-ground asymmetries and they determine detailed topographical cognitive maps of the environment.
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the linguistic representation of environmental landmarks and topographical coordinates in two unrelated cultures, Eipo and Dene. It explores the degree to which environmental experience of landmarks and spatial orientation are reflected as cognitive maps. Furthermore, topographical information of the immediate environment is represented as cognitive maps of topographical coordinates. These coordinates constitute a regional-specific gestalt. The data shows the influence and constructive process of environmental landmarks and cultural heritage (e.g. practices, myths) on the shaping of spatial categorization. Landmarks, defined as any kind of cultural-specific environmental reference points (mountains, rivers, houses, trees, or rocks) are used as proximate course-maintaining devices in the encoding of figure-ground asymmetries and they determine detailed topographical cognitive maps of the environment.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Editors and contributors vii
- Foreword ix
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Multilingual contrasts: Interfaces and integrations
- Methodological approaches in the study of linguistic relativity 17
- Frequency of use and basic vocabulary 45
- A contrastive study of colour terms in French and German causal constructions 73
- Compound verbs in English and Bulgarian and the relativity debate 97
- HERE, NEAR, FAR 121
- Cognitive maps of landmark orientation 151
- Is space-time metaphorical mapping universal? 183
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Part II. Bilingual processing: Language representation and language use
- Efficiency of the bilingual mind 205
- About phonological, grammatical, and semantic accents in bilinguals’ language use and their cause 229
- Aging and bilingual processing 263
- L1-based prototypicality effects in L2 vocabulary learning 287
- Finding a wooden jandal in the jandal wood 309
- Name index 333
- Subject index 335
- Language index 337
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Editors and contributors vii
- Foreword ix
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Multilingual contrasts: Interfaces and integrations
- Methodological approaches in the study of linguistic relativity 17
- Frequency of use and basic vocabulary 45
- A contrastive study of colour terms in French and German causal constructions 73
- Compound verbs in English and Bulgarian and the relativity debate 97
- HERE, NEAR, FAR 121
- Cognitive maps of landmark orientation 151
- Is space-time metaphorical mapping universal? 183
-
Part II. Bilingual processing: Language representation and language use
- Efficiency of the bilingual mind 205
- About phonological, grammatical, and semantic accents in bilinguals’ language use and their cause 229
- Aging and bilingual processing 263
- L1-based prototypicality effects in L2 vocabulary learning 287
- Finding a wooden jandal in the jandal wood 309
- Name index 333
- Subject index 335
- Language index 337
