A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics David Crystal

84 cognise
a cognate subject–verb–object sequence is illustrated by such sentences as
Employers employ employees.
cognise (v.)
see cognize
cognitive (adj.) A term sometimes used in semantics as part of a classification
of types of meaning. Cognitive meaning refers to those aspects of meaning
which relate directly to denotations of lexical items and the propositional
content of sentences, and thus corresponds to an intellectually objective level
of interpretation, as opposed to one where emotional or subjective interpretation
is involved. Alternative terms include denotative and referential; opposite
terms include emotive and connotative.
cognitive domain
see cognitive semantics
cognitive grammar A linguistic theory which sees language as an integral
part of cognition, a means whereby cognitive content is given structure; originally
called space grammar. In this approach, the basic function of language is
to symbolize conceptualization by means of phonology. grammar is seen as
an inherently meaningful (or ‘symbolic’) component of the theory, linking
semantics (viewed in conceptualist terms) and phonology. This pairing of forms
and meanings sets up connections between established (‘entrenched’) patterns
of neurological activity (‘units’), which serve as templates for categorizing
expressions. Each unit (semantic, phonological, symbolic) corresponds to an
aspect of structure, and well-formed expressions are ‘conventionally’ constructed
using a series of units. Grammatical classes and constructions are
analysed as configurations of symbolic structures: a basic distinction is drawn
between ‘nominals’ (things, e.g. noun phrases) and ‘relational expressions’
(relationships, e.g. verbs, prepositions, adjectives, clauses); grammatical
rules are characterized as abstract ‘constructional schemas’. See also cognitive
semantics.
cognitive metaphor
see conceptual metaphor
cognitive semantics A semantic theory, part of cognitive grammar, which
identifies meaning with conceptualization – the structures and processes which
are part of mental experience. The theory stresses the importance of bodily
experience in concepualization. It operates with an encyclopedic view of meaning,
not recognizing a clear boundary between linguistic and general knowledge.
lexical items, which act as pointers or triggers for encyclopedic knowledge,
are therefore typically polysemous, and analysed as a network of related senses.
The theory identifies a number of processes such as metaphor and metonymy
as general cognitive processes rather than purely linguistic devices. A central
notion is how a conceptual content is ‘construed’: the construal of a lexical item
depends on several factors, including the ‘cognitive domains’ in which it appears
(e.g. space, time, colour) and variations in perspective and salience.
cognitivism (n.) In language acquisition, the view that cognitive factors
(e.g. intelligence, memory, attention) have a primary role in language learning.
See Geneva School (2), innateness.