A Study Of The Semantic Nature Of Bare Nouns In Degree Morpheme+Bare Noun Constructions:A Cross-linguistic Cognitive Approach

Language is one of the multiple aspects included in the integral system which is cognition.Thus,linguistic facts should be studied and explained with reference to general cognitive mechanisms.This thesis seeks an explanation for the non-canonical structure of the construction "Degree Morpheme+Bare Nominal"(an adverb followed by a noun).Interestingly,the BNs in this construction are closer to adjectives than to full nominals,its gradation is induced by the BN per se,using the DM as a reinforcement tool to mark gradation.This gradable meaning is formed by the categorization of the BN,resulting into a set of attributes which are directly related to the N,and comparable to the set of attributes of a prototype category.Categorization experiences different processes in DM+BN depending on the nature of the bn.Categorization as a process is universal in human cognition,meaning that is true cross-linguistically and it originates from simple forms.The author proposes a universal coding suitable cross linguistically for DM+BN structures,which sanctions different categorization mechanisms(cognitive processes)depending on the different natures of BNs.The stability of this processes and the acceptability of the bns is constrained by the prominence of the BNs,and limited by different contexts and languages.Language-specific constraints and linguistic context are limiting factors that can invalidate grammatically valid constructions.Yet,let alone culture,context and other conditioning factors,the incipient cognitive processes of encoding information into DM+BN sentences are indeed universal,these processes are built on a more primarily cognitive processing,which I suggest that possess 'universal cognitive principles'.Finally,this type of constructions are used further language efficiency and with an euphemistic tone.First,they convey more meaning in less(e.g.'???'("very gentleman"))could be interpreted as portraying all these attributes at once:patient,educated,elegant,sophisticated,etc.;and second,the structure has an euphemistic function since it substitutes information that is difficult to utter in social contexts for other words that are more well accepted socially(e.g.instead of uttering ' X person is spoiled',substitute it for 'X person is "very princess").