Diachronic Mapping at the Conceptual/Linguistic Interface

Abstract

In this final section, we will draw the threads of the previous discussions together in order to propose an approach to a generalised evolutionary model of conceptual mapping. The section is divided into two chapters focusing on two major themes of an evolutionary model based on data analysed in Part III. The present chapter will look more precisely at the interface between thought and language and models that could represent the diachronic paths of the conceptual and linguistic features concerned. The final chapter will deal with the causes of evolution in the form of embodied and cultural influence and their relation to salience and semantic field.