Building a semantic map: top-down versus bottom-up approaches
This paper contrasts two methods for constructing semantic maps: the top-down model and the bottom-up model. It is argued that the bottom-up approach can be illuminating in solving long-standing issues. First, a sharp distinction is made between functions and domains: functions are indivisible semantic units, and domains are sets of functions. A bottom-up model starts with the functions and works its way up to the domain level. The difference between a bottom-up and a top-down model is illustrated by looking at the problem of evidentiality and epistemic modality, specifically the question of w... Mehr ...
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Dokumenttyp: | Artikel |
Erscheinungsdatum: | 2010 |
Reihe/Periodikum: | Linguistic Discovery, Vol 8, Iss 1 (2010) |
Verlag/Hrsg.: |
Dartmouth College Library
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Schlagwörter: | evidentials / semantic maps / modality / Dutch / Language. Linguistic theory. Comparative grammar / P101-410 |
Sprache: | Englisch |
Permalink: | https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-27409212 |
Datenquelle: | BASE; Originalkatalog |
Powered By: | BASE |
Link(s) : | https://doi.org/10.1349/PS1.1537-0852.A.347 |
This paper contrasts two methods for constructing semantic maps: the top-down model and the bottom-up model. It is argued that the bottom-up approach can be illuminating in solving long-standing issues. First, a sharp distinction is made between functions and domains: functions are indivisible semantic units, and domains are sets of functions. A bottom-up model starts with the functions and works its way up to the domain level. The difference between a bottom-up and a top-down model is illustrated by looking at the problem of evidentiality and epistemic modality, specifically the question of whether the verb /must/ is epistemic or evidential. It is argued that by looking at the functions of /must/ and related verbs (such as /be bound to, will/ and the Dutch cognate verb /moeten/) we can construct a semantic map that is both more accurate and more open to linguistic inquiry than a top-down map.