In order to figure out multiple senses and the specific semantic network of the target prefix post-, this study will employ an approach combining the field of cognitive and synchronic corpus linguistics.
Chapter two will start by defining the word-formation pattern of prefixation and chapter three continues to explain Hans-Jörg Schmid’s approach to Cognitive Linguistics and how they apply to this study. Chapter four will provide information about corpus linguistics, and concludes by depicting the history of the British National Corpus, which was chosen for data sampling as it provides the original source category as well as the tokens. The following chapter five will list the limitations and define the importance of this study. In chapter six, the analysis will be conducted. It will be structured into subchapters, according to the different text categories which are given in the BNC, and conclude with a comparison of the results in order to find out if the prefix displays any varying meanings and if so how they are depicted.
A final outlook will be given in the last chapter, adding possible subsequent ideas on how this study could be continued.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Prefixation
3. Cognitive Functions of Prefixation
4. Corpus Linguistics
4.1 The British National Corpus
5. Relevance and Limitations of this Study
6. Analysis of post-
6.1 Origin and Meaning of post-
6.2 Frequency of Occurrence of post- in the BNC
6.3 The Semantic Network of post-
6.4 Contextual Analysis of the Spoken Use of post-
6.5 Contextual Analysis of the Use of post- in Fiction
6.6 Contextual Analysis of the Use of post- in Magazines
6.7 Contextual Analysis of the Non-Academic Use of post-
6.8 Contextual Analysis of the Academic Use of post-
6.9 Contextual Analysis of the Miscellaneous Use of post-
6.10 Comparison of the Results
7. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This study aims to investigate the multiple senses and the specific semantic network of the English prefix post- by utilizing an approach that combines cognitive linguistics and synchronic corpus linguistics based on data from the British National Corpus (BNC).
- Examination of the morphological pattern of prefixation and its cognitive functions.
- Analysis of corpus linguistic methods and the historical development of the British National Corpus.
- Investigation into the contextual usage and semantic variations of the prefix post- across different text categories.
- Evaluation of how the prefix functions to encode temporal and contrastive meaning in public discourse.
Excerpt from the Book
6.10 Comparison of the Results
In this last chapter of the analysis, the results from the different categories will be compiled and compared in order to find out if there are any overlapping or completely diverging semantic patterns. These findings will be presented in a precise manner, describing only the results of the specific subchapters
The first category provided the only example of spoken content of the target prefix, in which it described an unspecific point in time which occurred after the Olympic Games. The context of this example was a business meeting
The following category was the use of post- in fiction, where the examples exclusively were taken out of books, popular in the 1980s. For the first time in this analysis, the combination of pre- and post- occurred, creating a time-related contrast. The remaining examples followed the schema of post- having the meaning of after a certain point in time. However, it is noteworthy that post- also co-occurs with the German word Arbeit, which shows that even though the language at hand is English, post- can also premodify foreign words.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the study's objective to analyze the prefix post- using cognitive and corpus linguistics and provides a roadmap for the subsequent chapters.
2. Prefixation: This section defines the word-formation pattern of prefixation and categorizes various types of prefixes, including synthetic and pseudo-prefixation.
3. Cognitive Functions of Prefixation: This chapter explains Schmid's cognitive linguistics approach, focusing on how prefixation encodes contrasts and becomes entrenched in the mental lexicon.
4. Corpus Linguistics: The chapter explores the use of electronic text collections for linguistic analysis and details the history and structure of the British National Corpus.
4.1 The British National Corpus: This subsection provides specific information about the development, design, and representative criteria of the BNC.
5. Relevance and Limitations of this Study: This chapter justifies the research focus on post- and acknowledges that the analysis is restricted to British English usage at the end of the 20th century.
6. Analysis of post-: This chapter sets the stage for the empirical analysis, explaining the methodology for examining the tokens within the BNC.
6.1 Origin and Meaning of post-: This section investigates the etymological origins and basic meanings of the Latin preposition post.
6.2 Frequency of Occurrence of post- in the BNC: This chapter presents a quantitative overview of the prefix's distribution across different categories of the BNC.
6.3 The Semantic Network of post-: This chapter provides an overview of the tokens and the free morphemes associated with the prefix, leading to a visual representation.
6.4 Contextual Analysis of the Spoken Use of post-: This analysis examines the single spoken instance of the prefix within the corpus.
6.5 Contextual Analysis of the Use of post- in Fiction: This section analyzes how the prefix is used in popular 1980s literature, including instances of dual prefixation.
6.6 Contextual Analysis of the Use of post- in Magazines: This chapter explores the prefix's role in marking pop-cultural milestones and film-related timeframes.
6.7 Contextual Analysis of the Non-Academic Use of post-: This section reviews occurrences in social science contexts, noting the use of pre- and post- in psychological testing.
6.8 Contextual Analysis of the Academic Use of post-: This chapter focuses on the use of the prefix within educational law and film studies.
6.9 Contextual Analysis of the Miscellaneous Use of post-: This section analyzes various tokens in biographical and commercial contexts, including instances related to war and industry.
6.10 Comparison of the Results: This chapter synthesizes the findings from all categories to identify patterns in the semantic use of the prefix.
7. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the findings, confirming that post- primarily functions as a time-related marker for milestones in public life.
Keywords
Prefixation, post-, Cognitive Linguistics, Corpus Linguistics, British National Corpus, BNC, Semantics, Word-formation, Temporal meaning, Contrast, Mental Lexicon, Entrenchment, Pseudo-prefixation, Discourse, 1980s.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this research paper?
The paper investigates the multiple senses and the semantic network of the English prefix post- through a linguistic lens.
What are the central thematic fields explored?
The study explores word-formation, cognitive functions of language, corpus linguistics, and the temporal usage of the prefix in British English.
What is the core research goal?
The primary goal is to determine how the prefix post- is used to encode meaning and contrast within various text categories found in the British National Corpus.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The research employs a combined approach of cognitive linguistics and synchronic corpus linguistics, utilizing the BNC for data sampling and analysis.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body includes a theoretical foundation on prefixation and cognitive functions, followed by a detailed contextual analysis of post- tokens across fiction, magazines, non-academic, academic, and miscellaneous texts.
Which keywords characterize this study?
Key terms include prefixation, post-, Cognitive Linguistics, Corpus Linguistics, BNC, semantic network, and temporal contrast.
How is the semantic network of post- defined?
The network is defined by events significant to the 1980s, serving to mark milestones in educational, cultural, and historical progress.
Does the prefix always carry a time-related meaning?
While the vast majority of instances (90%) are time-related, the study identifies rare cases, such as one instance where it refers to military construction materials (posts), which diverges from its typical function.
What role does the BNC play in the study?
The BNC serves as the empirical database, providing a representative sample of British English usage at the end of the 20th century.
What conclusion does the author draw regarding the prefix's usage?
The author concludes that post- is predominantly used to encode temporal contrast and to mark significant milestones within public debates and discourse.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Hannah Koch (Autor:in), 2018, On Different Senses and the Semantic Network of the Selected Prefix post-, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1027141
