Spatial Cognition of Chinese“Shang/Xia”and English“Up/Down”  

作　　者：LIU Jingfei 

机构地区：[1]Beijing International Studies University,Beijing,China

出　　处：《US-China Foreign Language》2019年第9期425-430,共6页美中外语（英文版）

摘　　要：In spatial cognition,there are great differences between Chinese“shang/xia”and English“up/down”,being obvious subjectivity in both of them.While expressing the same spatial concept,Chinese“shang/xia”does not make a specific spatial dimension distinction but usually focuses on the two-dimensional plane of the“ground”and neglects the features of“point”,“line”,or“volume”.Therefore,when expressing the specific spatial relations,Chinese“shang/xia”has relatively broader semantic meanings and a wider range of spatial concepts.In terms of internal symmetry of language,there exists semantic asymmetry between Chinese“shang”and“xia”,and“shang”has a broader scope of application than“xia”,which is the result of the interaction of linguistic prominence andprinciple of linguistic economy.The semantics of English“up”and“down”in spatial relations are basically symmetrical.

关 键 词：SPATIAL COGNITION Chinese“shang/xia” English“up/down” 

分 类 号：H31[语言文字—英语]