Dimensional Adjectives: Grammatical Structure and Conceptual Interpretation (Springer Series in Language and Communication)

This is a new approach to cognitive linguistics, which aims at analysing knowledge of language; the modularity of its structural representation, the principles of its acquisition, and the conditions of its actual use. The volume adds new and sometimes surprising insight to the previous range of empirical studies and theoretical investigations dealing with dimensional adjectives and the constructions in which they occur. The syntax and semantics of dimensional adjectives are used as a window to look into the complex interaction of grammar and cognition. The contributions present an in-depth study of the conceptual modules underlying gradation and spatial dimensioning, give a detailed account of their interrelation, and thus provide initial steps towards an integrated and systematic understanding of the structures and processes involved.