A spatial model of conceptualization of time

Abstract

This paper presents a cognitive study of the lexical means of conceptualization of time in English and Armenian fairy tales, and outlines the ways in which such conceptualizations are expressed in both languages. A spatial model for the conceptualization of time is introduced, which helps reveal the complexities of lexical expressions of time in these fairy tale texts. The model is depicted by geometric delineations and comprises the schemas which best conform to the folkloristic genre; the depictions consist of a set comprising: point, interval, line, cycle, circle, and segment of a circle. A comparative analysis between the languages reveals that each of these schemas is represented in both languages but to differing extents. Lexically, the schemas are primarily expressed in English by noun phrases paired with prepositions, and in Armenian by prepositions or postpositions or their morphological synonyms. Other means of schema expression in both languages include, with slight differences, number markers, adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, and deictics.