ASSIGNMENT : COGNITIVE LINGUISTICS
Anuj Gupta (Y9111)
1)
Human mind forms certain images, priorities, beliefs etc depending on its previous experiences and learning. Whenever he encounters any situation (which is not particularly alien) he thinks on the lines of his previous learnings to arrive at a conclusion.
Looking at the example given in the question, one notices the colourful bird as the central object ( possibly important if used in some context) rather than the lamp or the window ledge. This is hence shown importance by using bird as the subject of our sentence.
In general,
>brightly coloured parts are stressed more
>pale colours and shades of grey constitute the background
Over the years we have developed a tendency to make the important things the subject of their statements. Hence the first statement appears to be more acceptabe than the second even though both are correct and convey the same meaning.
There are several other elements that may sound unacceptable but are not incorrect.
Like in the second paragraph 'he' went unnoticed while refering to humans. Had 'she' been used instead, it would have sound incorrect even though it is gramatically correct.
Similarly while talking about driver we generally use male context even though female drivers are equally possible.This illustrate the social effect on our learning.
2)
a)
Subject 1:
| gaya | chala | pada | dala | utha | |
| nikal | y | n | y | n | n |
| keh | n | n | n | n | n |
| ro | y | n | y | n | n |
| bol | y | n | y | n | y |
| has | y | n | y | n | n |
- language(s) spoken in first 5 years >hindi and sindhi - parent's mother tongues >sindhi - where they lived the first 5 years, and beyond >Haldwani,Uttrakhand - schooling in hindi till what class >10 th
Subject 2 :
| gaya | chala | pada | dala | utha | |
| nikal | y | n | n | n | n |
| keh | y | n | y | n | y |
| ro | y | n | y | n | n |
| bol | y | n | y | n | y |
| has | n | n | y | n | y |
- language(s) spoken in first 5 years >hindi - parent's mother tongues >rajasthani/ hindi - where they lived the first 5 years, and beyond >maharashtra - schooling in hindi till what class >10th
Interlocutor:
| gaya | chala | pada | dala | utha | |
| nikal | y | y | y | y | n |
| keh | y | y | y | y | n |
| ro | y | n | y | n | y |
| bol | y | n | y | y | y |
| has | n | n | y | n | y |
b)
gaya:
wo truck ko dekh ke road se hat gaya.
wo phasi pe latak gaya.
wo mujhe peeche se thok gaya.
para:
thookar kha ke wo gir para.
wo dard se cheekh para.
utha:
wo khushi se naach utha.
'gaya' means gone, 'para' means laid, 'utha' means to rise.
While using these verbs as light verbs they only add to the meaning or inference of the heavy verb without slightest indication of there actual meaning.
c)
' utha ' mainly depicts the high enthusiasm or anxiety or ultimate stress of the subject of our sentence that he/ she eventually speaks or laughs or cries. Thus utha describes the break of an intense situation into its consequence.