Expressions of emanation fictive motion events in Thai

Abstract

This study investigates Thai expressions of emanation fictive motion events within the framework of cognitive linguistics. An emanation event is an imagined event in which an intangible entity moves from a source entity relative to a reference entity. The analysis of the data of Thai emanation expressions, which are gathered from published literary books, shows the followings. First, there are two basic types of the idealized cognitive model (ICM) for Thai emanation event: (1) thematic ICM's consisting of two role archetypes, i.e., a mover and an absolute; (2) agentive ICM’s consisting of three role archetypes, i.e., a mover, an absolute and an agent. Second, Thai emanation event can be classified into four specific semantic types according to the kinds of mover: (1) perception emanation, including (1.1) visual emanation (line of vision), (1.2) auditory emanation (sound), (1.3) olfactory emanation (smell), (1.4) tactile emanation (air in motion); (2) radiation emanation (light); (3) shadow emanation (shadow); (4) orientation emanation (the focus of an observer's attention). Third, the structure of Thai emanation events can be categorized into two main types, based on the surface forms of their predicates: (1) a simplex structure represented by a single verb phrase, and (2) an integrated structure represented by a serial verb construction or a verb phrase combined with a prepositional phrase. The integrated structure includes two subtypes: (2.1) simultaneous structures described in more than one perspective, and (2.2) sequential structures consisting of two sub-events occurring in succession. These emanation event subtypes in Thai are language-particular and reflect an aspect of the Thai speaker's understanding of the world.