Diagram as the Representation of Construal

國

立 政 治 大 學

‧

N a tio na

l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y

in the oblique (e.g. prepositional phrase) is the secondary landmark (lm) in the clause.

We label the prominence of each participant in the superscript of the corresponding segment. For example, in (3.4), the ‘AGENT’ (Customs officers) is the syntactic subject of the verb, and it receives the prominence of being the trajector in the clause. The annotation of trajector is labeled in the subscript of the NP you. Then, the direct object (the drugs) is the primary landmark of the clause, and the landmark (LM) is labeled in the subscript as well. Lastly, the oblique (with another substance) is the secondary landmark in the clause with the label ‘lm’ in the subscript of the prepositional phrase.

(3.4) [AGENT Customs officers]^TR substituted [OUT the drugs]^LM [IN with another substance]^lm. (K4M-734)

The trajector-landmark alignment in (3.4) reflects the construal in which the

interaction between ‘AGENT’ and ‘IN’ is the focus, while the ‘OUT’ participant is made relatively peripheral by realizing it in the oblique.

3.3.4 Diagram as the Representation of Construal

As indicated by Croft (2012:6), “the semantic representations in cognitive linguistics are intended to represent the conceptual structure rather than truth conditions in the world” (p. 6). We follow the tradition of cognitive linguistics that

“semantic representations tend to be diagrammatic” (Croft, 2012:6) by drawing the diagram of the conceptualized ‘action chain’ (Langacker, 1991, 1999, 2008).

Following Langacker (1991, 1999, 2008), we draw the diagram of (3.4) in Figure 3.2 for illustration. In Figure 3.2, each circle represents a participant in the action chain. If the circle is bold, it is profiled in the conceptual base, and thus the three circles are all bold in Figure 3.2. Then, a solid arrow represents the force vector, that

‧ 國

立 政 治 大 學

‧

N a tio na

l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y

is, the flow of energy in the action chain. In Figure 3.2, the ‘AGENT’ exerts force to the

‘IN’ participant, which in turn transfers the energy from the ‘AGENT’ and affects the

‘OUT’. Also, the dashed arrow represents the possible change of state or location in

‘OUT’ without affecting other participants. While ‘AGENT’ and ‘OUT’ are the ‘head’

and the ‘tail’ of the action chain, the ‘IN’ participant is in the central position used as an instrument which affects the ‘OUT’ by taking the place of it. We take the ‘head’ and the ‘tail’ of the action chain, and call it the ‘AGENT-OUT action chain’.

Figure 3.2 Diagram of the ‘AGENT-OUT action chain’

Therefore, in (3.4), it describes the event that the ‘AGENT’ (Customs officers) uses the

‘IN’ (another substance) as the instrument to replace the ‘OUT’ (the drugs). However, the attention is particularly directed to the portion that the ‘AGENT’ replaces the ‘OUT’.

However, the participants are not always included in the energy transmission. In (3.5), the interaction between the ‘AGENT’ and ‘IN’ is the focus, while the ‘OUT’ is realized in the oblique (for lemon juice). Despite the equated number of the profiled participants with (3.4), different construals imposed on the event give rise to different action chains. The action chain of (3.5) is diagrammed in Figure 3.3.

(3.5) [AGENT You]^TR can substitute [IN lime juice]^LM [OUT for lemon juice]^lm in a recipe. (CEK-4699)

Agent In Out

TR lm LM

‧ 國

立 政 治 大 學

‧

N a tio na

l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y

In Figure 3.3, the ‘AGENT’ exerts force to the ‘IN’ participants, as in Figure 3.2, but the ‘IN’ participant does not transfer the energy from the ‘AGENT’ to the ‘OUT’ (diagramed in the dashed line). Instead, the dashed line indicates the ‘OUT’ is merely relevant to the ‘IN’ participant in the sense that the replaced entity is specified. In other words, in Figure 3.3, ‘AGENT’ and ‘IN’ are the ‘head’ and ‘tail’ of the action chain, while ‘OUT’ is merely relevant to the ‘IN’ participant by specifying the replaced entity. The ‘OUT’ participant does not hold the force-dynamic relation with the ‘IN’ participant, and thus it is not part of the action chain. We take the ‘head’ and the ‘tail’, and call the action chain in Figure 3.3 the ‘AGENT-IN action chain’. It reflects the construal which focuses on the interaction between the ‘AGENT’ and the ‘IN’, while the ‘OLD’ is relatively peripheral.

Figure 3.3 Diagram of the ‘AGENT-IN action chain’

By comparing Figure 3.2 and Figure 3.3, we can see that different action chains can be conceptualized in the event of substituting. Then, different degrees of

prominence are conferred on profiled participants, and in turn represent distinct construals in each action chain. For example, the event of substituting in (3.5) can be realized in another sentence pattern representing different construal, as in (3.6).

(3.6) [IN Lime juice]^TR can be substituted [OUT for lemon juice]^lm in a recipe.

Agent In Out

TR LM lm

‧ 國

立 政 治 大 學

‧

N a tio na

l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y

While (3.5) and (3.6) share the ‘AGENT-IN action chain’ in Figure 3.3, they differ in the prominence conferred on the participants. In (3.6), the primary focus is conferred on the ‘IN’ participant, the ‘OUT’ is still the secondary landmark, and the ‘AGENT’ is not profiled. The varying degree of prominence in participants gives rise to distinct construal of an action chain.

However, note that the conceptualization of the event of substituting in different action chains is also a matter of construal. The action chains reflect how language users construe the event of substituting. Specifically, in the ‘AGENT-OUT action chain’, the event is conceptualized that an ‘AGENT’ uses ‘IN’ as an instrument to replace the

‘OUT’. However, in the ‘AGENT-IN action chain’, the event is conceptualized that an

‘AGENT’ chooses an entity as an ‘IN’, which occupies the former position of ‘OUT’. No force-dynamic interaction occurs between ‘IN’ and ‘OUT’ in ‘AGENT-OUT action

chain’.

In the present study, we draw the diagram for the representation of different construals which encompass an action chain and the degree of prominence conferred on profiled participants.