AStudyontheApplicationofFauconnier’sSpaceMappingtoDiscourseAnalysisZouJiajing

邹佳静

Abstract：As one of the branches of cognitive science， cognitive linguistics provides a new researching method for researching and illustrating language phenomena. Using Fauconniers mental spaces theory and the space mappings theory， this paper explores the mapping problems in metaphor， metonymy and schema mappings of idealized cognitive models （ICM）. Fauconniers space theory， as an important cognitive model， can help us understand those regular and irregular linguistic facts in our everyday communication， and provide a new cognitive model for the research of language phenomena.

Key words：Fauconnier； space mapping； discourse analysis

中图分类号：H319 文献标识码： A 文章编号：1672-1578（2015）03-0003-03

1 Introduction

What is meaning？ Does language expression have any connection with its meaning？ Those are two questions for all semantic theories to answer. Some semantics with objective attitude hold that the meaning of a language is the object we can obtain from the outside world. However， cognitive linguists believe the meaning of a language is mental entity， and the meaning is a constitutive element of cognitive structure in language users mind. In cognitive semantics， meaning is regarded as a mapping from language expression to conceptual structure. This mapping reflects an interaction between language expression and conceptual structure.

On the basis of cognitive semantics， this thesis analyzed the application of Fauconniers space mapping in discourse analysis， and explained the usage of metaphor， metaphorical mappings， and Idealized Cognitive Models（ICM）. As an important cognitive model， space mapping helps us explain and understand many unconventionally language facts in our daily communication.

2 Fauconniers Mental Space Theory

As a founder of mental space theory， Fauconnier put forward series of articles and works to discuss the mental space theory of language acquisition. As one of the basis way in structural knowledge， mental space theory has some similarities compare with Langackers cognitive domain， Fillmores frame， Schank and Abelsons script， Lakoffs image schema and ICM， and Gardenforss conceptual space， etc.

Mental space theory holds that we could use an invisible and abstract mental space to explain the relationship between words and sentences. In fact， mental space is a mental spatial domain， which is a temporary concept built by people in daily communication. In his book Mental Space， Fauconnier focused on the on-line construction process of the natural language meaning. He believed mental spaces are established through a variety of language forms， and he pointed out the understanding of relevant language form will lead us to explore mental spaces， which are built in our daily communication， and these spatial domains are actually interrelated mental spaces.

On the basis of Nunbergs pragmatic function theory， Fauconnier put forward Access Principle to analyze metonymy， metaphor， presupposition， and subjunctive mood. However， Nunbergs pragmatic function principle focused on the analysis of indirect anaphora phenomena.

Using the function of mapping formula， Fauconnier described Access Principle as： If there exists two objects “a” and “b”， through the connection of pragmatic function， which is b=F （a）， therefore， we could find “b” through describe “a”.

Picture one

In this picture， “a” refers to original concept， “b” refers to target concept， and “F” is their connector.

Example：

（1） In the eyes of Tom， Marry is the most beautiful girl in the world.

In example one， “in the eyes of Tom” are space constructed words， through its role as a bridge to build a mental space compare with the reality. But actually， Marry is an ordinary girl. This is the same as we always say： In the eyes of the lover， his beloved is a beauty. In the reality， Marry is ordinary； yet in the mental space， she is the most beautiful girl. The connector between the two is an abstract function.

Picture Two

Tom view himself as a subject， from the perception of “time”， he views “I think Marry is beautiful” as a reference point and gradually develops this perception to a future time. Once this perception is accepted in his brain， it will exist as a conceptualization form. Therefore， in Toms mental space， he regards Marry as the most beautiful girl in the world； while in the reality， others may not have this feeling.

3 Fauconniers Space Mapping

Fauconnier pointed cross-domain mapping was the center for people to generate， deliver and process meaning. In fact， mapping is a mathematic concept which refers to two sets have correspondence relation that each member in a set could find a correspondence relation in another set. In linguistics， mapping refers to the relation of identification and correspondence among concepts. We also call it matching relation.

Fauconnier hold people build mapping relation among mental space when thinking or talking. He distinguished three different mapping forms： the first is projection mapping， the second is pragmatic function mapping and the third is schema mapping.

3.1 Projection Mapping

Projection mapping refers that we could use the concept of one mental space to comprehend another. For instance， we use some original structures or words to express the target domain. This kind of mapping was built on the basis of our knowledge in order to help us understand some abstract concept.

The abstract thinking function of language is created on the basis of the metaphorical thinking function of language. Cognitive linguistics hold conceptual metaphor consists of two parts： source domain and target domain. The cognitive power of metaphor is to mapping the concept from the source domain to the target domain.

We can take “life” as an example. “Life is a play” is a metaphor. In that phrase， “life” is target domain， while “play” is source domain. “Play” has abundant inner structures， such as actor， director， editor， dress， light， etc. Therefore， “life is a play activates sets of correspondence relations： world versus stage； human beings in the world versus actors and actresses in a play； the birth of a people versus the performance of an actor； the death of a people versus the end of the play， etc.

In order to comprehend the whole meaning of “play”， we should know other metaphors such as： life is a journey. We also should know the meaning of “journey” through our experience.

Example：

（2） She went through life with a good heart.

He knows where he is going in life.

He made his way in life.

He worked his way around many obstacles.

There were two paths open to him.

Picture Three

In picture three， “journey” is source domain and “life” is target domain. Some metaphors about “life” such as： life is a river； life is a dream， etc. All of these form a comprehensive net for us to understand the meaning of “life” totally.

3.2 Pragmatic Function Mapping

Pragmatic function mapping has many similarities with ICM. People associate one thing with another from their similarities. Pragmatic function mapping is an inner mutual mapping， and metonymic mapping is one type of pragmatic function mapping. The different mental spaces will connect each other through the same experience and culture. Once a speaker mentioned a concept， the hearer will activate some other concepts.

Example：

（3） a. Plato is on the top shelf. It is bound in leather.

b. I saw a Qi BaiShi on the wall.

c. He was driving a Shanghai.

In sentence （3）a， if the two speakers are talking about Plato， this common knowledge will form a bridge naturally and connect “Plato” and “his work” together into a mental space. Then， they could use the name “Plato” to replace “a book”. In sentence （3）b， if the two speakers know QiBaiShi is a famous painter， they could easily associate “Qi” and “his picture” together. Meanwhile， under the cue of “see” and “on the wall”， we can accomplish the nominatum of words. In sentence （3）c， when the speaker mentioned “drive”， the hearer activates some concept about public vehicle， therefore， “Shanghai” refers to the brand of a car， not the name of a place.

Fauconnier emphasized that language like a road sign when people crossing different mental spaces. As people could use different attitudes to percept the same object， hence， the speakers also can use different methods to express the same thing. That is to say， language leads hearers into different mental spaces. As for the correspondence relationship among mental spaces， hearers could find the fetches from the one to another.

Example：

（4） Wife says to her husband： you are not the man you were， you have changed.

The first and the third “you” refer to the present time， while the second “you” refers to the past time. That is to say， the speaker leads us into two different mental spaces. Through the same reference “you”， we find the correspondence relation.

The same as metaphor， metonymy is built on the basis of our experience， and a unconsciously cognitive process of human beings. Metaphor belongs to the mapping of two different cognitive domains， such as the relation between “journey” （source domain） and “life” （target domain）. However， metonymy belongs to some connected cognitive domains with a highlight objects instead of the others， such as the relationship between whole and part. Moreover， they also have interrelations. For instance， “Do not get hot under the collar.” In metonymy， this sentence express a feeling about angry， and in metaphor， the basic concept is “anger is heat， anger is fire”.

3.3 Schema Mappings

Schema mapping means we use abstract pictures， frames and models to understand meaning. It is a top-down cognitive model mapping.In 1987， Lakoff put forward Idealized Cognitive Models （ICM）， which points proposition model， schema model， metaphorical model and metonymical model are four type of ICM. Each ICM should build a mental space while using， and all the models together to form the meaning of a word or sentence.

For example， we express “mother” as follows：

（1）Birth model： the one who give birth to a baby.

（2）Gene model： a female who devote her genes to a baby.

（3）Feed model： a female who brings up a child.

（4）Marriage model： the wife of my father.

All these form the real meaning or understanding of “mother”. To be more specific， if somebody says： I was adopted； I do not know who my mother is. In that situation， the speaker emphasizes on the birth model.

Some cognitive linguistics holds that people build their knowledge through ICM， which is a compound in our brain. ICM could be proposition model， schema model and also could be built through metaphorical mapping and metonymical mapping.

4 Conclusion

Traditional truth conditional semantics believes meaning exists in object world， and through finding the reference in the outside world， language has its meaning. The consequence is that the meaning of a language has no connection with language speakers. However， cognitive linguistics hold meaning reflects peoples understanding of the outside world. Fauconnier put forward that when a word is replaced by another word， the truth of a sentence is changed. The key of peoples cognition is the existence of space. He also put forward language expressing only has the potential to create meaning， and only when language speakers use it along with their cognitive structures， meaning will occur. Therefore， language is a route sign in order to lead people into different mental spaces.

Fauconniers Mental Space Theory and Space Mapping Theory could help us explain some regular and irregular language facts， and solve misunderstanding from culture difference. However， his theory also has some limitations need further improvement.

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