Spatial Concepts within Syntactic Structures: The Topology-Imagery Hypothesis

Abstract

The aim of this study is the creation and implementation of a groundbreaking syntactic structure typology, anchored in fundamental cognitive processes. This involves an in-depth classification and analysis of a variety of sentence types, integrating imagistic and spatial categories. This methodology promotes an in-depth comparative analysis, facilitating the discovery of distinctive syntactic features among the languages examined. The research is dedicated to a thorough exploration of sentence structure's topological aspects, scrutinizing the configuration and interplay of linguistic elements. It places particular emphasis on sentences within three diverse linguistic frameworks: Russian, Chinese, and English, thus enabling a comprehensive analysis and the identification of both cross-linguistic similarities and distinctions. This research adopts a multifaceted approach, combining theoretical analysis with comparative study. Such integration of methodologies allows for a nuanced comparison of sentence structures and their semantic roles in Russian, Chinese, and English, highlighting linguistic and cultural differences between these languages. The novelty of this study lies in the cognitive approach to sentence structure analysis and the development of a classification based on three cognitive models: (i) a single main container, (ii) dual main containers without a defined trajectory, and (iii) multiple main containers with distinct trajectories. A key principle of this classification is the integration of topological and imagery elements, underscoring the diversity of syntactic structures against a backdrop of a unified cognitive base, shaped by cultural and linguistic specifics. The findings reveal that sentences in Russian, English, and Chinese exhibit both shared and unique syntactic characteristics, reflecting cultural-cognitive differences, including the Chinese cultural concept of harmonizing opposites, the Russian cultural notion of segmenting the whole into parts, and the English cultural stance situated between these extremes.