In press: In: Dimitrova-Vulchanova, M - NTNU

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former has higher diversity in the motion lexicon. This result is highly coherent with the data and observations at the outset, namely the two-verb split for each motion scene. An inspection of the two plots revealed another interesting general result worth mentioning. While the multiset–based cluster analysis provides a grouping based on core similarities across stimuli and scene types, the Jaccard-based analysis, provides grouping based on similarity regarding marginal features, a fact which may be useful in planning future research and obtaining subtler results. We address the more detailed results in the discussion in section 5. below (cf. also Dimitrova-Vulchanova, Matínez, Edsberg & Eshuis, in preparation). The dendrograms for each language are enclosed in the Appendix. 5. Discussion 5.1 General comments Our basic results confirm that English and Norwegian have one basic term per motion scene (modulo the crawl verbs in Norwegian), and confirm the two-way split for each motion scene in Bulgarian. The target verbs in all three languages were used for the naming of basic motion scenes involving humans, with canonical figure orientation (front forwards), vector orientation (left-to-right or towards), and underspecified (straight path shape) performed at characteristic rate. Most scenes featuring a variation from the default on one or more of these conditions produced an increase in the range of lexical items preferred across subjects. Below we discuss the most salient findings. We first consider the selection of factors that have influenced responses for a particular scene type and for particular lexical items. 5.2 Factors 5.2.1 Biological factors – cycle, body and limb structure, species The most distinctive feature of at least three of the four types of targeted biological motion (running, walking and crawling), was their cycle – the number of limb movements, and the pattern of limb movement - the way the Agent moves its limbs and body, in order to achieve translational motion. In this respect, two factors were of utmost importance: suspended vs. supported motion (i.e. running vs. walking/ crawling), and erect posture vs. ‘supine’/ ‘lower than usual’ posture (i.e. walking vs. crawling). Our prediction that the naming of the target scenes would consistently reflect the value of the parameter supported vs. suspended was borne out. All scenes with suspended motion were overwhelmingly identified with verbs of running in all three languages. In addition, the cluster analysis revealed a major split between the clustering of suspended (running) scenes 26
and respectively the verbs naming them and the supported motion scenes and verbs (e.g. walking and crawling). Further support for the relevance of the feature supported vs. suspended comes from the cluster analysis which clearly displays a greater semantic closeness between crawl and climb seen in how these verbs cluster on a jaccard similarity plot in English and Bulgarian. Apparently, the common denominator here is supported motion in both cases, usually referred to as ‘clambering’ in the context of climb. For the two types of supported biological motion, walking and crawling, a further dividing factor may prove to be posture. While in walking, the default value is erect posture, or at least erect limbs and some distance between the torso and the ground, in crawling the default is ‘supine’ posture, non-erect limbs, and nearness or contact with the ground. These features are clearly present, and respectively influence, the naming of walking vs. crawling of humans. In other cases, however, it is unclear what the difference between ‘erect’ and ‘supine’ means, as the species in question have only one posture available. This was demonstrated in the naming of the scenes of a beetle, and a tortoise, responses to which varied on the walking – crawling continuum. Likewise, for images of quadrupeds moving at a moderate pace (e.g., a koala, a tiger and a chimp) the most common verb employed was walk across all three languages, despite the non-erect posture. Most likely, in this case the decisive feature is ‘head-up’, probably levelling the otherwise observable distinction between figure posture and figure orientation. Special patterns of locomotion can elicit more concrete verbs. For instance, for the scene of a crocodile walking towards water, some English and Norwegian participants chose to stress the sideways swaying motion of the body by using the verbs waddle (Eng)/ vagge (No). In the scene of a long-legged bird walking, English and Norwegian participants preferred the verbs strut (Eng)/ sprade (No) to the target verbs, because of the specific mode the bird carried its head and shoulders. In Bulgarian, some participants put an emphasis on the separate steps, by using the verb kracha (‘stride’). An interesting observation was the difference across the three target languages in the focus on features encoded in the respective verbs used. This was particularly salient in the scenes of snake locomotion, where one and the same motion event was lexicalized differently in each language, selecting different features. In English, the most salient feature was the friction occurring between the body and the ground (expressed in the verb slither). In contrast, in Norwegian the most salient feature was the sideways undulation of the body (expressed by the verb åle seg – ‘move like an eel’), the latter apparently a ‘metaphor’ for path shape specification. In Bulgarian both of these features were ignored, and the scene was lumped 27
Page 1 and 2: In press: In: Dimitrova-Vulchanova,
Page 3 and 4: such as figure orientation). Common
Page 5 and 6: left-to-right vs. right-to-left) wi
Page 7 and 8: With respect to terrestrial biologi
Page 9 and 10: than not, the aspectual prefix is a
Page 11 and 12: 3.3 Verbs of walking The most centr
Page 13 and 14: 3.6 Features in the representation
Page 15 and 16: change of location, and whether the
Page 17 and 18: translation vs. non-translation (re
Page 19 and 20: Fig. 2 Overall frequencies of the t
Page 21 and 22: has demonstrated that infants as yo
Page 23 and 24: verbs only in Norwegian. In Bulgari
Page 25: Tversky 1977), and are specifically
Page 29 and 30: across species at particular Froude
Page 31 and 32: independently, there is sufficient
Page 33 and 34: 5.2.6 The salience of path shape an
Page 35 and 36: motion scenes that we had selected
Page 37 and 38: Dimitrova-Vulchanova, M. 1999. Incr
Page 39 and 40: Papafragou, A. et al. 2002. Shake,
Page 41 and 42: Appendix 1 This appendix contains s
Page 43 and 44: 13 Long-legged bird walking 14 Croc
Page 45 and 46: 25 Snake crawling 26 Snake sidewind
Page 47 and 48: Fig. 1b. Multiset tree for Bulgaria
Page 49 and 50: Fig. 2b. Multiset tree for English
Page 51 and 52: Fig. 3b. Multiset tree for Norwegia

In press: In: Dimitrova-Vulchanova, M - NTNU

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