Verbs of motion and their lexicalization patterns in English and Vietnamese - A perspective from cognitive semantics

Abstract

Abstract. This paper aims at providing a comparison of lexicalization patterns of motion verbs with typological and universal principles they embody across two languages: English and Vietnamese. Cognitive semantics classifies motion verbs based on the sort of semantic information which their verb roots characteristically encode, that is, manner, path or shape. Insights gained from our study reveals that English and Vietnamese motion verbs are typologically different in utilizing lexicalization patterns to conflate Path and Manner of Motion with Move elements. Given the conclusions, this paper indicates possible implications for language teaching and translation, hopefully providing an alternative method of analyzing an aspect of language from a different point of view.

Keywords: Motion, motion verbs, lexicalization patterns, motion event, manner, path, cause, figure, ground, satellite-framed, verb-framed.