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Language-specific encoding of placement events in gestures

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Author

Editor

  • Jürgen Bohnemeyer
  • Eric Pederson

Summary, in English

This study focuses on the effect of the semantics of placement verbs on placement event representations. Specifically, it explores to what extent the semantic properties of habitually used verbs guide attention to certain types of spatial information. French, which typically uses a general placement verb (mettre, 'put'), is contrasted with Dutch, which uses a set of fine-grained

(semi-)obligatory posture verbs (zetten, leggen, 'set/stand', 'lay'). Analysis of the concomitant gesture production in the two languages reveals a patterning toward two distinct, languagespecific event representations. The object being placed is an essential part of the Dutch representation, while French speakers instead focus only on the (path of the) placement movement. These perspectives permeate the entire placement domain regardless of the actual verb used.

Publishing year

2011

Language

English

Pages

166-188

Publication/Series

Event representation in language and cognition

Document type

Book chapter

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Topic

  • General Language Studies and Linguistics

Keywords

  • Dutch
  • crosslinguistic differences
  • event representation
  • gesture
  • caused motion
  • placement
  • French

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISBN: 978 0 521 89834 8