Classroom:NTNU, LING1113 (2009) - Motion and Space

Definitions

First of we will define a number of notions of or related to space, deixis and motion. These notions will later on be used in trying to determine the exact semantical content of a set of norwegian (and danish) prepositions.

Spatial concepts

Spatial concepts are in essence relations between two or more instances. Whenever you make a statment about the location of an object, you state the location relative to another object. While you can claim that an object is inside another object, you cannot claim that it is inside, but not of another object.

The object whose location you make a statement about is called the located object, while the other object, which you compare the location of the located object with, is called the reference object.

Locations

Topological locations

Coincidence:

-The located object is in contact with the reference object.

Interiority:

-The located object is included or contained in the reference object.

Exteriority:

-The located object is external to the reference object.

Projective locations

Inferiority:

-The located object is located in the area below the reference object, where below is defined in terms of the observer's point of view, or as defined by the reference object itself.

Superiority:

-The located object is located over the reference object. Over is defined in terms of the observer's point of view, or as defined by the reference object itself.

Anteriority:

-The located object is located behind the .reference object. Behind is defined in terms of the observer's point of view, or as defined by the reference object itself.

Posteriority:

-The located object is located in front of the reference object. In front of is defined in terms of the observer's point of view, or as defined by the reference object itself.

Laterality:

-The located object is located beside the reference object. Beside is defined in terms of the observer's point of view, or as defined by the reference object itself.

Deixis

Deixis is the way an expression is anchored to some essential point in context.

Reference point

-The reference point is the location that the location of the located object is defined as relative to.

Remoteness

-Remoteness is defined as the relative distance between the reference point and the located object. Languages may encode any number of degrees of remoteness.

Direction

-There are two directions: movement away from the reference point, and movement towards the reference point.

Events

Motion

Dynamic movement through space. Motion entails the displacement of some entity, or conceptually relevant positional change.

Theme/Figure

- The entity that is displaced

Source

- The ground which is the origin of the theme's motion

Goal

- The ground which is the destination of the theme's motion

Location

- The fixed ground (or surroundings) of the motion event

- Path

- The trajectory of the theme. To analyse the possible paths of motion in any language, one must look at the relative contributions of the three factors of the paths.

Figure

- The figure gives little help to determining the path. The semantic properties of the figure often fail to contribute to the selection of paths.

Ground

- Ground, however has more to say for the semantic restrictions on choice of description for the path.

Trajectory

- The features of the trajectory itself also often carry significance for how we choose to describe path.

Conveyance

- How motion events are carried out. The basic distinction is between vehicular and non-vehicular transport.

Manner

- How motion events are in terms of speed and intensity.

Cause

- The relationship between a movement and what causes the movement

Prepositions

bak

'Bak' indicates that the located object has a relationship of posteriority to the reference object

blant

'Blant' indicates that the located object has a relationship of laterality to more than two reference objects

fra

Fra is a deictic relation of the located objects movement away from the reference object

i

'i' indicates that the located object has a relationship of interiority to the reference object.

mot

'Mot' indicates that the located object has a relationship of coincidence to the reference object. That is if the located object rests against the reference object.

It may also indicate that the located object is moving towards the reference object.

ovenfor

The preposition ovenfor is used to indicate that the relation between the located object and the reference object is one of superiority, but not of coincidence.

In simpler terms: Object1 is ovenfor another object if it is located over that object - that is higher than it and in the space above it - but not if Object1 is touching the other object.

under

'Under' indicates that the located object has a relationship of inferiority to the reference object.

Motion verbs

This category of verbs denote movement, and these movements can be divided into subcategories.

In order to denote movement, we can use either a movement verb or a verb with a preposition. The latter is another story, and you can read about it in the page called 'Preposisjoner'. The scope of the 'Bevegelsesverb' page is to describe verbs denoting -by themselves - some kind of movement.

The following paragraphs suggest how we can divide motion verbs into subcategories:

- The movement can be done voluntarily or nonvoluntarily by the subject of the Pn-S.

- Does the movement denoted have a goal, a path or both? Or is the movement taking place a a spot?

- Come up with more as you desire...

Motion verbs:

  Gå, springe/løpe, dra/fare, komme, svømme, fly & kjøre & sykle.

Kanskje: Stikke, rømme, klatre, falle, stige