Carita Paradis: Research
My research is based in the framework of Cognitive Linguistics and centres on meaning in the broad sense. Cognitive Linguistics is a usage-based model of language where no clear-cut and absolute boundaries between the areas of semantics, syntax and pragmatics are assumed. These three areas all contribute to the meaningful functioning of language. The guiding idea behind the cognitive framework is that language use must be explained with reference to the underlying mental processes. However, although I work in the cognitive paradigm, my research is informed by other schools of thought such as structuralism, generative linguistics and computational linguistics and I use both corpus methods and psycholinguistics experiments in my research.
I specialize in lexical semantics which is to say I am concerned with words and their meanings in natural language and how these meanings are represented in the human mind. My approach to meaning takes concepts to form the ontological basis of lexical knowledge, which involves both encyclopedic and linguistic knowledge. The meaning of a lexical item is its use potential. Specific readings are portions of the use potential and are construed on the occasion of use. Conceptual space is structured relative to two types of ontological domains: the content domain and the schematic domain. Content domainsinvolve meaning proper and schematic domainsprovide various configurational templates. Both these domains are conceptual in nature and mirror our perception of the world. In addition to the conceptual realm, there is an operating system consisting of different types of construals, which are imposed on the domains by speakers and addressees. It is through the operations of construals on ontological structures that different readings of lexical expressions arise. Meanings are dynamic and sensitive to contextual demands, rather than fixed and stable. In a dynamic, usage-based model like this, polysemy and multiple readings emerge as a natural consequence of the human ability to think flexibly. I am particularly interested in
- polysemy
- the meanings of adverbs, adjectives and nouns
- semantic relations such as antonymy and synonymy
- construals of meanings such as metonymization and metaphorization
- modality and speaker stance
- evidentiality and discourse
- modelling of meaning
I apply my general interest in meaning in language to various more specific areas of study such as issues of change in historical linguistics, language acquisition and learning, lexicology and intonation.