An Introduction to Cognitive Linguistics

by Friedrich Ungerer, Hans-Jorg Schmid

Learning About Language is an exciting and ambitious series of introductions to fundamental topics in language, linguistics and related areas. The books are designed for students of linguistics and those who are studying language as part of a wider course. Cognitive Linguistics explores the idea that language reflects our experience of the world. It shows that our ability to use language is closely related to other cognitive abilities such as categorization, perception, memory and attention allocation. Concepts and mental images expressed and evoked by linguistic means are linked by conceptual metaphors and metonymies and merged into more comprehensive cognitive and cultural models, frames or scenarios. It is only against this background that human communication makes sense. After 25 years of intensive research, cognitive-linguistic thinking now holds a firm place both in the wider linguistic and the cognitive-science communities.

An Introduction to Cognitive Linguistics carefully explains the central concepts of categoriza­tion, of prototype and gestalt perception, of basic level and conceptual hierarchies, of figure and ground, and of metaphor and metonymy, for which an innovative description is provided. It also brings together issues such as iconicity, lexical change, grammaticalization and language teaching that have profited considerably from being put on a cognitive basis.

The second edition of this popular introduction provides a comprehensive and accessible up-to-date overview of Cognitive

Genres: Linguistics, Nonfiction

400 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1996

Reviews

[Chadi Raheb · Rating 3 out of 5]

CogLing is a vast fascinating world that cannot be jammed into a few chapters. But this one is good enough as an introductory book.
I'll be needing to scan & skim some of the chapters again.

[Eleanor Yates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting intro to cognitive linguistics but not for beginners - had to read this for uni

[João · Rating 3 out of 5]

More or less skipped the last 2 chapters or so. All in all it's a very interesting read, especially for people who are interested in (cognitive) linguistics, since it offers some basics and has a lot of exercises to help put theory into practice

[Kat Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

fuckin' did it!