ACTA
LINGUISTICA
LITHUANICA
XLVIII
(2003),
59-70
Some
p elimina y
ema ks
on
spa ial
dis inc ions
in
Li huanian
KRZYSZTOF
MALESA
Wa saw
Uni e si y
The
aim
o
his
pape
is
o
p o ide
a
concep ual
amewo k
o
he
desc ip ion
o
spa ial
exp essions
in
Li huanian.
Un il
now,
only
s uc u alis
desc ip ions
o
Li huanian
spa ial
exp essions
ha e
been
o e ed.
The
au ho
a gues
ha
he
s uc u alis
app oach
should
be
abandoned
in
a ou
o
a
cogni-
i e
one,
and
in oduces
a
numbe
o
basic
no ions
which
he
now
classical s udies
by
such
au ho s
as
Talmy
and
He sko i s
ha e
p o ed
o
be
use ul
ools
o
in es iga ing
he
concep ualiza ion
o
space
in
language.
1.
INTRODUCTORY
REMARKS
Spa ial
cogni ion
in
he
Bal ic
languages
has
no
been
ho oughly
s udied
so
a .
P e ious
linguis ic
s udies
o
spa ial
ela ions,
by
such
au ho s
as
Valiuly é
(1995,
1998)
o
Sukys
(1998)
as
well
as
he
desc ip ions
in
he
Academy
G amma
o
Li huanian
a e
a he
limi ed
in
scope
and
based
on
he
s uc u al
me hod
o
desc ip-
ion.
This
mode
o
desc ip ion
p o ides
us
wi h
a
wide
a ie y
o
lis s,
compiled
on
he
basis
o
he
mo phological
o
syn ac ic
s uc u e
o
e bs
o
ph ases.
F om
he
poin
o
iew
o
cogni i e
linguis ics,
his
is
no
qui e
he
esul
ha
should
be
p o-
duced
by
esea ch
in o
he
spa ial
sys em
o
language.
As
I
will
a emp
o
p o e
in
he
u he
pa s
o
his
pape ,
in
o de
o
desc ibe
spa ial
s uc u ing
and
o
unde -
s and
he
o igin
o
some
so
a
qui e
cu so ily
desc ibed
spa ial
ph ases
in
Li huanian
(e.g.,
he
so-called
compound
p eposi ions
o
samplaikiniai
p ielinksniai),
one
should,
i s
o
all,
ecognize
and
unde s and
he
way
in
which
speake s
concep ualize
space
and
objec s
loca ed
wi hin
i .
Cogni i e
desc ip ion
is
a
p esen
commonly
ega ded
as
he
mos
app op ia e
pa adigm
o
he
explo a ion
o
spa ial
sys ems
in
na u al
language.
The
ounda ions
o
he
cogni i e
s udy
o
space
ha e
been
laid
in
he
ea ly
se en-
ies',
along
wi h
he
e y
i s
desc ip ions
o
spa ial
ca ego ies.
I
is
hus
a
qui e
ecen ly
es ablished
discipline,
and
he
ad an ages
associa ed
wi h
i
a e
undeniable.
Like
o he
new
ideas,
i
is
conduci e
o
expe imen s,
o
he
de elopmen
o
new
e-
sea ch
ools
and,
las
bu no
leas ,
o
in e disciplina y
con ac s,
as
cogni i e
esea ch
eage ly
akes
ad an age
o
me hods
and
concep ions
de eloped
by
o he
disciplines
ha
a e
no
s ic ly
connec ed
wi h
linguis ics.
,
The
de elopmen al
pa h
o
cogni i e
linguis ics
om
i s
beginnings
ill
cu en
esea ch
was
depic ed
in
accessible
way
by
Unge e
&
Schmid
(1996).
60
|
KRZYSZTOF
MALESA
The
p ima y
aim
o
his
pape
is
o
p o ide,
in
a
en a i e
way,
a
basic
concep ual
amewo k
o
he
desc ip ion
o
he
Li huanian
spa ial
sys em.
The
basic
geome ic
and
dimensional
dis inc ions
ma ked
in
Li huanian
will
also
be
b ie ly
cha ac e ized.
The
desc ip i e
amewo k
I
ha e
made
use
o
is
based,
on
he
one
hand,
on
s udies
ocusing
on
spa ial
s uc u ing
as
concei ed
in
cogni i e
linguis ics
(Talmy
1983),
and,
on
he
o he
hand,
on
s udies
whose
aim
is
o
p esen
an
analysis
o
he
seman-
ics
and
p agma ics
o
loca i e
exp essions
(He sko i s
1986).
Owing
o
he
signi i-
can
di e ences
be ween
he
English
sys em
o
spa ial
exp essions
in es iga ed
in
he
abo e-men ioned
s udies
and
he
Li huanian
one,
some
elemen s
o
desc ip ion
a e
o mula ed
in
a
sligh ly
di e en
way,
adjus ed
o
he
gene al
s uc u al
p ope -
ies
o
he
Li huanian
language’.
2.
THE
PRIMARY
BREAKUP
OF
A
SPATIAL
SCENE.
SCHEMATIZATION
I is
an
ob ious
and
undispu ed
ac
ha
e e ybody
pe cei es
his
su oundings,
and
he eby
space
in
gene al,
as
a
se
o
speci ic
elemen s,
isible
o
loca ed
h ough
senses
o he
han
sigh ,
as
in
(1):
(1)
U2
sienos
daina o
aikai.
‘The
child en
we e
singing
behind
he
wall’.
A
he
le el
o
linguis ic
s uc u e,
a
spa ial
scene
canno
be
ep esen ed
by
all
o
he
componen s
ha
can
be
pe cei ed
h ough
he
human
senses.
When
we
ake
a
look
a
any
sen ence
desc ibing
spa ial
ela ions,
i
becomes
clea
ha
only
a
ew
ele an
componen s
o
eali y
a e
singled
ou
o
ep esen
he
whole
e e en
scene.
The
emaining
componen s
a e
le
ou
o
conside a ion.
Thus,
i
would
no
be
co ec
o
say
ha
a
spa ial
scene
is
ep esen ed
in
language
jus
as
a
complex
o
many
elemen s
ela ed
o
each
o he
in
a
speci ic
way.
As
no iced
by
Talmy,
language
uses
i s
closed-class
elemen s’
as
well
as
he
s uc u e
o
he
sen-
ence
o
single
ou
ce ain
elemen s
which
a e
ele an
o
he
desc ip ion
o
spa ial
ela ions.
This
kind
o
p ocess
has
acqui ed
he
name
o
SCHEMATIZATION.
In
he
cou se
o
his
p ocess,
one
po ion
o
he
spa ial
scene
is
singled
ou
o
p ima y
ocus.
I s
spa ial
ea u es,
iz.
i s
si e
when
s a iona y,
i s
pa h
when
mo ing,
and
i s
o ien a ion
wi hin
he
e e en
scene,
ega dless
o
mo emen ,
a e
cha ac e -
ized
in
e ms
o
ano he
po ion
o
he
scene.
Some imes
a
hi d
po ion
may
be
in ol ed
as
well’.
These
objec s
can
be
p o isionally
e e ed
o
as
‘p ima y
objec ’
and
‘seconda y
objec ’.
2
I
would
like
o
hank
p o .
Axel
Hol oe
o
his
in aluable
commen s
on
he
pape
and
he
co ec ions
o
he
English
ex .
A
class
o
wo ds
o
mo phemes
whose
membe ship
is
ixed
and
can
be
lis ed,
e.g.
pe sonal
p onouns
(c .
Ma hews
1997:
57).
The
so-called
‘Seconda y
G ound’.
This
p oblem
will
no be
discussed
in
he
p esen
pape ,
o
u he
desc ip ion
c .
Talmy
(1983).
4
SPATIAL
DISTINCTIONS
IN
LITHUANIAN
|
61
The
selec ion
o
seconda y
elemen s
o
REFERENCE
OBJECTS,
used
o
cha ac e izing
he
P ima y
Objec ’s
spa ial
ea u es,
is
no
acciden al.
The
e e ence
objec
selec ed
wi hin
he
scene
has
a
loca ion,
and
some imes
also
geome ical
p ope ies,
ha
a e
al eady
known,
o
assumed
o
be
known,
o
he
add essee.
This
is
a
necessa y
p e-
equisi e,
as
i
is
only
unde
such
condi ions
ha
an
objec
can
be
used
as
a
poin
o
e e ence.
Si e,
pa h,
o
o ien a ion
o
he
p ima y
objec
can
be
indica ed
in
e ms
o
dis ance
as
well
as
by
desc ibing
i s
ela ion
o
he
geome y
o
he
second
objec :
(2)
D i a is
s o éjo
alia
mokyklos.
‘The
bike
s ood nea
he
school’.
(3)
—
Jonas
guléjo
ske sai
lo os.
‘John
was
lying
ac oss
he
bed’.
As
we
see
in
(2),
he
loca ion
o
he
p ima y
objec ,
he
bike,
is
cha ac e ized
by
Salia
in
e ms
o
dis ance
om
he
loca ion
o
he
school,
wi hou
any
u he
in o -
ma ion
on
he
geome ical
p ope ies
o
any
objec .
In o ma ion
o
a
di e en
ype
is
in ol ed
in
(3),
whe e
ce ain
ob ious
geome ical
p ope ies
o
objec s
and
ela ions
be ween
hem
a e
desc ibed
by
means
o
he
p eposi ion
ske sai.
The
basic
in o ma-
ion
ela ing
o
spa ial
o ien a ion
and
geome y
o
he
objec s
cha ac e ized
in
(3)
can
be
b ie ly
summa ized
as
ollows:
(a)
he
objec s
a e
colloca ed
(dis ance),
and
(b)
he
leng h
o
one
o
he
objec s
is
pe pendicula
o
he
o he ’s
wid h.
The
geo-
me ical
p ope ies
o
he
p ima y
and
seconda y
objec s
will
be
discussed
in
mo e
de ail
in
he
second
pa
o
his
pape .
Apa
om
ce ain
p ope ies
o
he
objec s,
known
o
assumed
o
be
know
o
he
add essee,
and
om
o ien a ion
in
space,
he
dis ibu ion
o
e e encing
unc ions
is
usually
de e mined
by
some
addi ional
ela ions
be ween
wo
objec s,
selec ed
as
p i-
ma y
and
seconda y.
Talmy
p oposes
o
hese
ela ions
he
ollowing
kind
o
align-
men
( he
able
is
ep oduced
as
in
Talmy,
1983:
230-231):
TABLE
1.
PROPERTIES
OF
PRIMARY
AND
SECONDARY
OBJECTS
PRIMARY
OBJECT
SECONDARY
OBJECT
a
has spa ial
a iables
o
be
de e mined
ac s
as
a
e e ence
objec
wi h
known
spa ial
cha ac e is ics
b
mo e
mo able
mo e
pe manen ly
loca ed
c
smalle
la ge
d
concei ed
as
geome ically
simple
aken
o
ha e
g ea e
geome ic
(o en
poin -like)
complexi y
62
|
KRZYSZTOF
MALESA
CONTINUATION
OF
TABLE
1
PRIMARY
OBJECT
SECONDARY
OBJECT
e
mo e
salien
mo e
backg ounded
mo e
ecen ly
on
he
scene
/in
awa eness
_
ea lie
on
he
scene
/
in
memo y
This
able
e lec s
he
assump ion
ha
wo
objec s,
loca ed
in
he
e e ence
scene,
a e
usually
no
o
equal
s a us.
This
assump ion
can
be
con enien ly
illus a ed
by
example
(2).
I
bo h
objec s
we e
equal
in
s a us,
we
could
jus
in e change
hem
and
c ea e
a
pai
o
sen ences
ca ying
he
same
meaning.
As
we
see
in
(4)
and
(4’),
such
an
in e change
does
no
p oduce
a
co ec
sen ence;
al hough
he e
is
no
iola ion
o
g amma ical
ules
in
he
as e isked
sen ence
(4’),
i
sounds
unna u al:
(4)
D i a is
s o éjo
salia
mokyklos.
‘The
bike
s ood nea
he
school’
:
(4)
*Mokykla
s o ejo
Salia
d i acio.
*The
school
s ood
nea
he
bike’.
I
should
be
no ed,
howe e ,
ha
he e
a e
cases
when
ela i ely
la ge
and
mo e
pe manen ly
loca ed
objec s
a e
no
used
as
poin s
o
e e ence.
This
is
obse ed
when
he
main
pu pose
o
he
use
o
an
exp ession
is
o
iden i y
an
objec a he
han
o
desc ibe
i s
spa ial
p ope ies.
In
such
a
case,
he
loca ion
o
he
objec
is
le
ou
o
conside a ion,
as
in:
(5)
Kalnas,
ku is
Siuo
momen u
y a
po
lék u u,
adinasi
Moun
Shas a.
‘The
moun ain
unde
he
plane
jus
now
is
Moun
Shas a’.
(6)
Paduok
man
Si a
knygq
Salia
pies uko!
‘Gi e
me
he
book
nex
o
he
pencil!’
Thus,
when
he
main
pu pose
is
jus
o
iden i y
he
objec
wi hou
paying
a en ion
o
i s
spa ial
p ope ies,
he
c i e ia
o
choosing
p ima y
and
seconda y
objec
may
depa
om
he
gene al
p inciples.
2.1
P o o ypes
and
ideal
meanings
The
asymme y
obse ed
in
(4)
is
condi ioned
mainly
by
he
seman ic
unc ion
o
bo h
nouns,
i.
e.,
by
ou
common
knowledge
o
he
wo ld,
in
which
buildings
a e
gen-
e ally
la ge
han
objec s
like
a
bike
and
ha e
also
a
mo e
pe manen
loca ion.
Ac-
co ding
o
he
p o o ype
heo y
o
wo d
meaning,
when
we
hink
o
a
school
and
a
bike
we
use
p o o ypical
ins ances
o
buildings
and
ehicles
and
hen
we
ela e
pa -
C .
He sko i s
(1986:
36-38).
SPATIAL
DISTINCTIONS
IN
LITHUANIAN
|
63
icula
ypes
o
objec s
o
hese
ins ances.
Thus,
p o o ypes
enable
us
o
es ablish
he
app oxima e
size
and
mobili y
o
he
objec s
and
o
classi y
hem
in
his
way
as
a
P ima y
o
Seconda y
Objec ,
acco ding
o
he
able
abo e.
The
use
o
p o o ypes
in
he
desc ip ion
o
meanings
enables
us
o
assume
a
qui e
cohe en
ca ego iza ion
o
he
wo ld
and
o
desc ibe
some
aspec s
o
spa ial
model-
ling
in
a
mo e
s aigh o wa d
way.
I
allows
us
o
unde s and
he
way
language
use s
ea
objec s
in
hei
u e ances. O
cou se,
he e
a e
no
p o o ypes
in
he
eal
wo ld,
and
when
desc ibing designa es
we
should
a he
speak
o
deg ees
o
p o o ypicali y.
Thus,
p o o ypes
should
be
concei ed
o
as
a
g adien
ca ego y
ha
allows
us
o
clas-
si y
objec s
and
hei
cogni ion
in
a
mo e
consis en
way.
P o o ypes
a e
gene ally
use ul
o
he
desc ip ion
o
he
spa ial
p ope ies
o
indi-
idual
objec s.
In
o de
o
gi e
a
mo e
de ailed
accoun
o
spa ial
ela ionships
be-
ween
wo
o
mo e
objec s
as
desc ibed,
o
ins ance,
by
p eposi ional
ph ases,
an
addi ional
no ion
is
needed
ha
could
be
used
as
an
auxilia y
desc ip i e
ool
and
ha
would
ep esen
he
mos
clea
and
ob ious
spa ial
si ua ions,
he eby
p o iding
a
basis
o
u he
desc ip ion.
Fo
such
‘mos
ypical’
si ua ions
He sko i s
(1986)
p oposes
he
e m
IDEAL
MEANING.
The
ideal
meaning
o
a
p eposi ion
may
be
comp ehended
as
simple
ela ion,
p o-
posed
as
he
meaning
o
a
p eposi ion
in
g amma s
and
linguis ic
s udies.
I
is
a
ela-
ion
be ween
wo
o
mo e
geome ically
ideal
objec s,
such
as
poin s
o
lines.
Thus,
all
possible
uses
o
conc e e
p eposi ions
a e
de i ed
om
an
ideal
meaning,
using
a ious,
less
o
mo e
signi ican
ans o ma ions.
Some
clea
ins ances
o
he
ideal
meaning
and
i s
modi ied
use
a e
p o ided
by
one
o
he
basic
opological
p eposi-
ions,
an .
The
mos
cha ac e is ic
ins ance
o
he
use
o
an
will
be
a
si ua ion
in
which
an
objec
o
a e age
size
(e.g.
a
book)
is
loca ed
on
a
la ,
ho izon al
su ace.
The e
a e
also
wo
essen ial
condi ions
ha
mus
be
sa is ied
in
o de
o
his
p epo-
si ion
o
be
used:
(a)
he
p ima y
objec
mus
be
in
di ec
con igui y
wi h
he
su ace;
(b)
he
e e ence
objec
mus
suppo
he
p ima y
objec .
All he
s ipula ions
jus
lis ed
can
be
easily
ound
in
exp essions
like:
(7)
—
Knyga
y a
an
s alo.
‘The
book
is
on
he
able’.
This
exp ession
will
no mally
be
in e p e ed
as
meaning
ha
he
book
is
di ec ly
on
he
able,
wi hou
ableclo h,
and
ha
he
book
is
no
on
op
o
a
pile
o
o he
books
loca ed
on
he
able;
unde
hese
ci cums ances
one
can
say
ha
example
(7)
e lec s
he
ideal
meaning
o
he
p eposi ion
an ’.
On
he
o he
hand,
one
could
also
imagine
a
si ua ion
whe e
loca ion
is
eplaced
wi h
mo emen
and
he e
is
no
di ec
con igui y,
hough
suppo
is
s ill
equi ed.
This
can
be
in e p e ed
as
a
u he
adap a ion
o
he
ideal
meaning
desc ibed
abo e:
®
He sko i s
(1986:
49)
de ines
he
ideal
meaning
o
he
English
p eposi ion
on
in
he
ollowing
way:
“[...]
on:
o
a
geome ic
cons uc
X
o
be
con iguous
wi h
a
line
o
su ace
Y;
i
Y
is
he
su ace
o
an
objec
O,,
and
X’is
he
space
occupied
by
ano he
objec
O,,
o
O,. o
suppo
O,.”

64
|
KRZYSZTOF
MALESA
(8)
An
g indy
Zaidé
Jonukas,
baisiai
pu indamas
kilimg.
‘Johnny
was
playing
on
he
loo ,
soiling
he
ca pe
e ibly’.
In
he
ollowing
example,
he
equi emen s
wi h
ega d
o
con igui y
and
suppo
a e
no
me
a
all:
(9)
Simbolis
i aizy as
an
akmens.
‘A
symbol
ca ed
on
he
s one’.
Exp essions
(8)
and
(9)
a e
qui e
dis an
om
he
ideal
meaning,
as
a ious
adap-
a ions
and
shi s
ha e
been
applied.
Bu
bo h
examples
can
s ill
be
in e p e ed
as
a ie ies
o
he
‘op imal
si ua ion’
shown
in
(7).
On
he
o he
hand,
ou
knowledge
o
he
seconda y
objec
and
ce ain
ins ances
o
he
use
o
loca i e
exp essions
sugges
a
second
possibili y,
as
he
meaning
o
he
loca i e
case
is
concep ually
close
o
in-
s ances
like
(9).
Thus,
o
pa
o
he
Li huanian
language
use s,
he
ollowing
ex-
p ession
will
p obably
also
be
accep able,
alongside
(9):
(10)
Simbolis
is aizy as
akmenyje.
‘A
symbol
ca ed
in
he
s one’.
2.2
Figu e
&
G ound
(Re e ence
Objec )
The
p ima y
and
seconda y
objec s
desc ibed
abo e
o
he
pu poses
o
schema iza ion
and
basic
b eakup
o
a
spa ial
scene
a e
wo king
e ms,
and
hey
sound
a he
ague.
Fo
a
mo e
concise
and
anspa en
spa ial
desc ip ion
one
should
use
con en ional,
s anda dized
e ms.
Linguis s
wo king
so
a
on
space
ha e
employed
many
di e en ,
bu
in
ac
e y
simila
no ions.
Among
all
hese
e ms
he
pai
used
by
Talmy
seems
o
be
qui e
sugges i e
and
use ul.
Talmy
has
no iced
a
close
simila i y
be ween
he
heo y
o
‘ i s ’
an
‘seconda y’
objec s
and
Ges al
Psychology,
which
makes
use
o
he
no ions
o
FIGURE
and
GROUND.
He
gi es
he
ollowing
cha ac e iza ion
o
he
Figu e
and
G ound,
app op ia e
o
linguis ic
pu poses
(Talmy
1983:
232):
The
Figu e
is
a
mo ing
o
concep ually
mo eable
objec ,
whose
si e,
pa h,
o
o ien a ion
is
concei ed
as
a
a iable
he
pa icula
alue
o
which
is
he
salien
issue.
The
G ound
is
a
e e ence
objec
(i sel
ha ing
a
s a iona y
se ing
wi hin
a
e e ence
ame)
wi h
espec
o
which
he
Figu e’s
si e,
pa h,
o
o ien a ion
ecei es
cha ac e iza ion.
As
Talmy
concedes,
o
some
ypes
o
si ua ions
he
no ion
o
Re e ence
Objec
may
be
mo e
exp essi e
han
ha
o
G ound,
so
ha
i
may
be
in
use
ins ead.
This
e minological
usage
will
be
ollowed
in
he
u he
pa s
o
his
pape .
SPATIAL
DISTINCTIONS
IN
LITHUANIAN
|
65
3.
FIGURE
AND
GROUND
GEOMETRIES
AND THEIR
RELATIONS
The
cons i uen
pa s
o
he
language
sys em
a e
ela ed
o
space,
and
i s
closed-
class
elemen s
asc ibe
o
objec s
ce ain
spa ial
p ope ies.
Spa ial
s udies
commonly
e m
hem
GEOMETRIES.
One
should
say
ha
he
geome y
o
he
Figu e
is
usually
cha ac e ized
by
spa ial
elemen s
in
a
mo e
s aigh o wa d
way
han
ha
o
he
G ound.
Thus,
in
mos
cases,
he
Figu e
may
be
in e p e ed
jus
as
a
poin -like,
i.e.
symme ical,
non-biased
ob-
jec ,
o
as
a
simila
kind
o
simple
o m.
Ne e heless,
one
can
also ind
cases
whe e
he
geome y
asc ibed
o
he
Figu e
is
qui e
complex.
The
mos
s iking
example
o
a
p eposi ion
ha
a ibu es
a
se
o
geome ical
ea u es
o
he
Figu e
is
ske sai
‘ac oss’.
One
is
able
do
desc ibe
a
leas
a
ew
o
he
p ope ies
indica ed
by
his
p eposi ion,
which
is
also
possible
o
he
English
examples
analyzed
by
He sko i s
and
Talmy.
A
ypical
ins ance
is
p o ided
by
sen ence
(11):
(11)
Len a
guléjo
ske sai
gelezinkelio
bégiy.
‘The
boa d
lay
ac oss
he
ailway
bed’.
The
basic
meaning
elemen s
con eyed
by
his
p eposi ion
a e
ha
/en a
( he Fig-
u e)
is
linea
and
he
G ound
ep esen ed
by
bégiai
is
a
na ow
agmen
o
a
plane
wi h
wo
pa allel
edges.
One
could
desc ibe
such
ype
o
objec s
as
‘ ibbonal’.
Apa
om
his
basic
in o ma ion,
he
Figu e’s
ela ions
o
he
G ound
may
be
speci ied
in
he
ollowing
way’:
1)
he
Figu e
is
a
linea
objec ,
bounded
a
bo h
ends;
2)
he
G ound
is
a
‘ ibbonal’
ype
o
objec ;
3)
he
Figu e
is
ho izon al
and
hus
pa allel
o
he
plane
o
he
G ound;
4)
Figu e
and
G ound
a e
app oxima ely
pe pendicula ;
5)
he
Figu e
bo de s
on
he
plane
o
he
G ound
and
is
suppo ed
by
i ;
6)
he
leng h
o
he
Figu e
canno
be
sho e
han
he
wid h
o
he
G ound;
7)
bo h
sides
o
he
Figu e
s ick
ou
(app oxima ely
e enly)
o
he
G ound’s
plane.
All
ac o s
speci ied
abo e
a e
equally
ele an .
I
should
be
emphasized
ha
one
canno
desc ibe
hem
as
componen s
o
he
IDEAL
MEANING
o
he
p eposi ion
ske sai.
Wi hin
he
‘ideal
meaning’
o
a
p eposi ion,
ce ain
shi s
and
adap a ions
a e
accep -
able,
and
such
shi s
do
no
cause
ano he
p eposi ion
o
be
used.
On
he
o he hand,
he
ac o s
lis ed
abo e
a e
in eg al
componen s
o
he
meaning
o
he
p eposi ion
ske sai
and
i
one
o
hem
is
absen ,
ano he
p eposi ion
mus
be
used.
Fo
ins ance,
when
he
Figu e’s
leng h
is
smalle
hen
he
G ound’s
wid h
(condi ion
6),
he
p epo-
si ion
an
mus
be
used:
C .
Talmy
(1983:
234-235).
66
|
KRZYSZTOF
MALESA
(12)
Len a
guléjo
an
gelezinkelio
bégiy
kelio.
‘The
boa d
lay
on
he
ailway
bed’.
Thus,
in
some
cases
he
Figu e’s
geome ies
a e
depic ed
in
mo e
complex
way
han
jus
as
a
poin .
The e
is
one
peculia
ype
o
Figu e,
desc ibed
in
a ious
ways
in
he
linguis ic
li e a u e,
which
seems
o
be
commonly
used
in
mos
languages.
I
e e s
o
a
poin -like
o
linea
Figu e
which
is
mo ing
along
a
linea ,
speci ied
pa h
( he
G ound).
Some imes
one
can
e e
in
a
simila
way
o
a
s a iona y,
linea
Figu e
by
using
a
a ie y
o
e bs
sugges ing
mo emen :
(13)
Kelias
eina
ne oli
kaimo.
‘The
oad
uns
nea
he
house’.
This
i ual
mo emen
can
be
implied
he e
because
he
Figu e
is
linea ,
i.e.,
i
may
be
concep ualized
in
a
way
which
is
ma kedly
di e en
om
he
way
poin -like
ob-
jec s
a e
concep ualized.
Acco ding
o
Talmy,
such
a
Figu e
“is
scanned
along
i s
leng h
by
one’s
ocus
o
a en ion”.
This
kind
o
in e p e a ion
appea s
qui e
use ul
as
a
means
o
desc ibing
wha
has
been
called
‘dynamic
localiza ion’,
iz.
a
si ua ion
when
a
e b
o
mo ion
is
used
hough
no
physical
ansloca ion
is
in ol ed
in
he
exp es-
sion.
The
s uc u al
me hod
o
desc ip ion
yields
no
explana ion
o
such
uses,
as
i
ocuses
a en ion
on
g amma ical
s uc u e,
in
which
he e
is
no
ac o
mo i a ing
he
use
o
a
e b
o
mo ion.
The
explana ion
can
only
be
ound
ou side
he
s uc u e
—
in
he
way
he
Figu e
is
concep ualized.
The
only
way
o
accoun ing
o
his
‘ i ual
mo emen ’
is
adop ing
a
cogni i e
analysis.
Unlike
wha
we
obse e
o
he
Figu e,
he
closed-class
elemen s
o
language
p o-
ide
us,
in
mos
cases,
wi h
a
b oad
ange
o
geome ic
dis inc ions
o
he
G ound
(Re e ence
Objec ).
Fo ins ance,
one
could
speak
o
a
g adable
‘pa i eness’
o
he
Re e ence
objec ,
which
can
be
exp essed
by
a ious
pa s
o
language
sys em.
En-
glish
uses
app op ia e
p eposi ions
o
his;
hey
a e
bolded
in
example
(14).
In
Li huanian
he
ange
o
p eposi ional
indexes
is
no
so
wide,
bu
i
is
possible
o
dis inguish
a
simila
numbe
o
G ound
ypes,
depending
on
i s
complexi y.
The
ex-
amples
in
(14)
illus a e
how
di e en
deg ees
o
complexi y
o
he
G ound
a e
ex-
p essed
in
Li huanian,
using
also
non-p eposi ional
means:
(14
a)
Jonas
s o éjo
p ie
namo.
‘John
s ood
nea
he
house’.
(14
b)
Jonas
s o éjo
a p
namy.
‘John
s ood
be ween
he
houses’.
(14
c)
Jonas
dingo
a p
medziy.
‘John
disappea ed
among
he
ees’.
(14
d)
Jonas
Zingsnia o
idu y
iks anciy
demons acijos
daly iy.
‘John
ma ched
amids
he
housands
o
he
demons a o s’.
(14
e)
Jonas
b o esi
pe
miniq.
‘John
s uggled
h ough
he
c owd’.
SPATIAL
DISTINCTIONS
IN
LITHUANIAN
|
67
In
he
exp essions
exempli ied
in
(14),
one
can
de ine
he
G ound’s
‘pa i eness’
as
ollows:
in
(a)
he
G ound
is
a
single
poin ,
in
(b)
i
is
ep esen ed
by a
pai
o
poin s,
in
(c)
he
G ound
is
in e p e ed
as
a
se
o
poin s
—
mo e
han
wo,
bu
no oo
many,
and
in
(d)
as
an
‘agg ega e,
con inuous
mass’
(as
de ined
by
Talmy).
The
sen ence
in
(e)
shows
a
G ound
which
can
be
cha ac e ized
as
a
‘medium’,
iz.
some hing
mo e
in ima ely
blended
and
homogeneous
han
he
‘con inuous
mass’
in
example
(d).
3.1
Biased
G ound
Geome y
In
mos
o
he
ins ances
desc ibed
abo e,
he
G ound’s
geome ies
a e
ully
egu-
la .
Howe e ,
i
should
be
kep
in
mind
ha
in
mos
cases
Re e ence
Objec s
a e
asymme ic,
and
ha
hey
ha e
a
di ec ional
s uc u e
and
o en
also
clea ly
dis in-
guishable
pa s.
Such
a
‘biased’
geome y
unde lies
a
b oad
ange
o
speci ic
spa ial
dis inc ions.
Re e ence
objec s
wi h
dis inguishable
pa s
usually
g oup
hem
in o
opposed
pai s.
One
can
easily
dis inguish
objec s
wi h
one
such
pai
(usually
his
will
be
a
‘ on -back’
o
‘ op-bo om’
opposi ion);
a
mo e
ypical
model
is
a
h ee-pai ,
cube- ype
objec
(e.g.,
a
building),
which
has
also
a
le
and
a
igh
side.
Exp essions
e e ing
o
such
an
objec
may
localize
he
Figu e
as
being
in
physical
con ac
wi h
he
Re e ence
Objec ,
as
in:
(15)
An
deSinés
pas a o
sienos
y a
Zibin as.
‘The e
is
a
s ee ligh
on
he
igh
wall
o
he
building’.
Ano he
kind
o
exp essions
places
an
objec
in
he
di ec
icini y
o
a
biased
pa
o
he
G ound:
(16)
D i a is
y a
p ie
pas a o
uzpakalinio
jéjimo.
‘The
bike
is
a
he
back
en ance
o
he
building’.
The
hi d
ype
o
exp essions
con ains
in o ma ion
on
he
Figu e
as
being
loca ed
a
a
speci ied
dis ance
om
he
de ined
pa
o
he
Re e ence
Objec ,
as
in:
(17)
Tele ono
biidelé
y a
desinén
nuo
neseniai
nudazy os
pas a o
pusés.
‘The
phone
boo h
is
o
he
igh
o
he
eshly
pain ed
side
o
he
building’.
As
we
can
see,
a
classi ica ion
o
spa ial
exp essions
loca ing
he
Figu e
wi h
e -
e ence
o
de ined
pa s
o
he
G ound
may
be
ca ied
ou
acco ding
o
di e en
c i e-
ia;
in
he
abo e
examples,
he
c i e ion
o
dis ance
is
in ol ed.
Biasing
o
he
objec ’s
pa s
is
no
he
only
kind
o
asymme y
ha
can
be
obse ed
among
Re e ence
Objec s.
Some
o
hem
ha e
also
biased
di ec edness.
Opposi e
di ec ions
a e
o en
se
by
an
axis
linking
a
pai
o
opposed,
asymme ic
pa s
(like
a
queue,
o
ins ance,
whose
di ec ion
is
de e mined
by
he
axis
linking
i s
head
and
i s
end).
In
some
cases
one
is
able
o
desc ibe
di ec ion
on
he
basis
o
ce ain
p ope ies
o
he
objec
wi hou
e e ing
o
any
speci ic
pa
o
i ,
as
in
he
equen ly
quo ed