The proposed dissertation aims to explore the linguistic concept of embodiment in the study of linguistic meaning, tracing its development since the 17th century and consolidating its significance in contemporary cognitive semantics. This will be achieved through a detailed examination of how human-specific bodily experience (“embodiment”) has been captured in works written in German, French, and English that show a particular interest in (linguistic) meaning (i.e. the history of semantics, which includes authors and reflections that do not concern only ‘semantics’ per se, but include philosophy, grammar, philology, etc.). A comprehensive corpus study will be carried out, combining quantitative and qualitative analyses, using modern methods such as corpus linguistics and scoping reviews, which will in turn help to produce state-of-the-art literature reviews and open-source concept maps on embodiment in cognitive semantics, and on the history of semantics. Ultimately, the proposed work aims to foster a scholarly discourse that embraces the complexity and diversity of linguistic theories, moving away from rigid categorisations and “founding myths” towards a more holistic understanding of meaning construction.

Nicolas Gignac, MA
Under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Daniela Marzo & Prof. Dr. Bruno Courbon