Viewed from the approach of Cognitive Linguistics, the step that lies between mental representation (fundamentally spatial and temporary) and its linguistic correlation has become a key issue, both in the sense of the creation of a linguistic representation of a given reality (child learning) and from the point of view of linguistic decoding to understand a reality represented linguistically.

It is in this former sense that the theory of Image Schemas as well as the theory of Imagistic Representations can be seen to show the continuity between both types of knowledge: linguistic and sensory (viewed from the angle of experientialism it is possible to argue a case for the non-modularity of the mind as well as the assertion that all knowledge, including linguistic, stems from our physical interaction with the world).  The first theory, defended fundamentally by Johnson and Lakoff,  is essential in cognitive semantics (especially as developed in JOHNSON (1987)) while the second theory is left tied to cognitive grammar, essentially defended by Langacker (where it is necessary to highlight LANGACKER (2008a and b)).

In this brief work we intend to examine these two theories from both a syntactic and a semantic point of view, in order to notice one of the essential problems that they present: how much of the knowledge involved in the image schemas and in the imagistic representations is grammatical knowledge (syntactic) and how much is encyclopaedic knowledge (lexicon)?

Through the exhaustive study of several cases in Catalan, from lexical units (such as the verb “cantar” or the prepositions “a” or “de”) to constructions and idioms (such as the construction with CRV or di-transitive constructions and idioms like “treure de polleguera” or “sortir al pati”), we intend to show that we can merge both theories into one. This single theory will offer a coherent linguistic explanation for several phenomena. At the same time, we will be able to discover two levels within the image schemas and imagistic representations: one related to syntax (having psychological reality in the construction of the meaning) and one tied to the semantic content of the linguistic unit (specially involved in the decoding process).              

JOHNSON, M. (1987), The body in the mind, Chicago and London, The University of Chicago Press.

LANGACKER, R. (2008a), Cognitive Grammar: A basic introduction, Oxford/NY: Oxford University Press.

LANGACKER, R. (2008b), “Topics in Cognitive Grammar and English Complex Sentences” (handout).