Classroom:NTNU, LING1113 (2009) - Motion and Space

Definitions

First of we will define a number of notions of or related to space, deixis and motion. These notions will later on be used in trying to determine the exact semantical content of a set of norwegian (and a few danish) prepositions.

Spatial concepts

Spatial concepts are in essence relations between two or more instances. Whenever you make a statment about the location of an object, you state the location relative to another object. While you can claim that an object is inside another object, you cannot claim that it is inside, but not of another object. The conception of space incorporated in language is a naive one, proved wrong by modern physics, yet still how it is perceived by humans.

The object whose location you make a statement about is called Theme, while the other object, which you compare the location of the located object with, is called Ground.

Locations

Topological locations

We destinguish between three topological locations in semantics; interiority, coinsidence and exteriority. These three locations have that in common, that the figure can be described with the same locational concept even though the ground may change. That is, if a figure is interior in relation to the ground, we can still describe the location of the figure with reference to the ground, by denoting the concept of interiority even if the ground should grow bigger, smaller or move; the relation between figure and ground stays the same.

If a cat i located interior to a house, it is still interior to the house, should the house move. The reader might try the same with exterior and coinsidence after reading our notions of those concepts below.

Coincidence:

If a figure coincides with the ground, the figure and ground share space. This sharing can be done by being attached to or toughing each other. The space shared can also be the space projected by the ground. In this case there might be convenient notions of how big a given ground's projected space is.

Interiority:

When a figure is located interior to a ground, the figure can be said to be contained in the ground. This can be partially as well as totally, and both options imply that the figure must be smaller than the ground. It should be noted, that if the gound is for example a garden and the figure is a person, an interior relation between does not (necessarily) mean that the person i burried in the garden. The person might perfectly well be standing up with the feet being the only body parts interacting fysically with the garden. We still think of the person as interior to the garden though, since we think of this interiority as occupying some space inside the area reffered to as garden.

Exteriority:

-The located object is external to the reference object.

Projective locations

With projective locations, the value and interpretation varies depending on the frame of reference, or vantage point against which the relationship is judged. Thus the relationship of projective locations vary according to the viewpoint of the viewer, or whether the located object is perceived in relation to the viewer or the reference object.

Inferiority:

-The located object is located in the area below the reference object, where below is defined in terms of the observer's point of view, or as defined by the reference object itself.

Anteriority:

-The located object is located in front of the reference object. In front of is defined in terms of the observer's point of view, or as defined by the reference object itself.

Superiority:

-The located object is located over the reference object. Over is defined in terms of the observer's point of view, or as defined by the reference object itself.

Posteriority:

-The located object occupies the space projected behind the reference object. Posteriority is in Norwegian (and Danish) defined in terms of the observer's point of view in relation to the reference object, or in terms of the relation to the reference object itself.

Laterality:

-The located object is located beside the reference object. Beside is defined in terms of the observer's point of view, or as defined by the reference object itself.

Deixis

Ground

- The Ground is the location that the deictic expression is anchored to. The Ground is most often identical to the location of one of the interlocutors.

Remoteness

- Remoteness is defined as the relative distance between the Ground and the Theme. Languages may encode any number of degrees of remoteness.

Direction

- There are two directions: movement away from the reference point, and movement towards the reference point.

Events

Motion

Motion can be described as dynamic movement through space. Motion entails the displacement of some entity, or conceptually relevant positional change. Motion is usually associated with actives, seeing that more often than not motion entails some kind of action, though certain motions can be described as states.

Theme

- The entity that is displaced by the predicate.

Source

- The area from which the theme moves.

Goal

- The area to which theme intends to move.

Location

- The surroundings in which the motion events take place.

- Path

- The trajectory of the theme.

Conveyance

- How motion events are carried out. The basic distinction is between vehicular and non-vehicular transport.

Manner

- How motion events are performed in terms of speed and intensity.

Cause

- The relationship between a movement and what causes the movement.

Prepositions

bak

'Bak' indicates that the located object has a relationship of posteriority to the reference object.

blant

'Blant' indicates that the located object has a relationship of laterality to more than two reference objects, which do not coincide

fra

Fra is a deictic relation of the located objects movement away from the reference object

gjennom

This is a very complex preposition, as it actually denotes a path of three states:

(- The located object has a path towards the reference object)

- The located object has a relationship of interiority to the reference object, and is in motion

(- The located object has a path away from the reference object)

The first and third stage is not obligatory, but are implicated, because this movement is expected to be intended by the located object even if it is not actually part of the movement described

hos

The located object has a close proximity to the reference object, yet always exterior to it, and never coinciding

i

'i' indicates that the located object has a relationship of interiority to the reference object, but this can be both a total or a partial interiority.

innenfor

The located object has a relationship of interiority to the reference object, which is an enclosed space. 'Innenfor' does not have any other locational meanings.

inntil

The located object is coinciding with the reference object, and has a relationship of laterality to it

mellom

The located object has a relationship of laterality to two reference points, who do not have a relationship of laterality to each other

mot

1. 'Mot' indicates that the located object has a relationship of coincidence to the reference object. That is if the located object rests against the reference object.

2. It may also indicate that the located object is moving towards the reference object.

omkring

The located object has a relationship of exteriority to the reference object.

ovenfor

The preposition ovenfor is used to indicate that the relation between the located object and the reference object is one of superiority, but not of coincidence.

In simpler terms: Object1 is ovenfor another object if it is located over that object - that is higher than it and in the space above it - but not if Object1 is touching the other object.

overfor

The located object and reference object are anterior to each other

på

'På' in its most common form, though the matter is far more complicated than this, indicates that the located object has a relationship of superiority to the reference object, as well as coinciding with it.

rundt

The located object has a relationship of exteriority to the reference object.

til

The located object is not close to the reference object, but moves towards it.

under

'Under' indicates that the located object has a relationship of inferiority to the reference object.

Motion Verbs

In this wiki we define Motion Verbs as the verbs - apearing alone or in a complex - as verbs denoting movement. This might be movement from A to B, that is locomotion, or it might be movement inside the same scene, that is single motion. As mentioned above, some motion verbs might be part of a complex and thus denoting the movement in cooperation with a preposition.

In Norwegian it is often so that is you have a motion verb with a prepositon, the complex is denotiong locomotion. If you have a motion verb without a preposition, the verb can denote either locomotion or single motion; that is to say, it is not specified whether single motion or locomotion is denoted, and the context has to help us deciding the location(s) of the movement.

Some motion verbs indicate that a path -abstract or concrete- is covered when the action denoted by the verb is carried out. Some prototypes of motion verbs implying a path are 'go' and 'run'. Note that the path is not necessarily explicitly mentioned in the predication sentence indicating that a path is covered; the path is often implied and understood as being present by virtue of the speaker's and hearer's knowledge of the concept denoted by the respective verb.

It might also be the case that there is a goal of the movement denoted by the verb. Again, this goal might not be explicitly uttered; the pressense of a goal is understood as implied in the concept expressed by the verb.

To see more on motion in general, please see the chapter on motion.

Gå

"Gå" encodes a movement with the movement of the body with the feet moving up and down from the ground where the foot is put onto the ground and then moves up and again, and this bodily movement happens in a certain direction, not just on a single place, it rather has a path.