1. Shaka, when the walls fell? What cognitive semantics can tell us aboutthe metaphorical language in "Darmok."Krystian Aparta krystian.aparta@gmail.com

2. "DARMOK"Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 5, Episode 2.Original title: DarmokWritten by: Joe Menosky and Philip LaZebnikDirected by: Winrich KolbeOriginal air date: 1991 3. THE TAMARIAN LANGUAGEDarmok and Jalad at Tanagra. Shaka, when the walls fell.Kiteo, his eyes closed. Sokath, his eyes uncovered.Chenza at court. The court of silence.Data: [Tamarians] communicate through narrativeimagery, a reference to people and places fromtheir mytho-historical accounts. 4. SEMANTICS Semantics is the study of meaning the meaning of language, signs, symbols. There are many "semantics"(e.g. structuralist, generative, cognitive...) 5. What is "meaning"?Many approaches: Meaning is the way symbols relate to the realworld. There is no "meaning," only the ways a symbolis used and how it is related to other symbols. In cognitive semantics: embodied meaning. 6. Embodied meaning Meaning is not a reflectionor representation of reality. Meaning arises fromhuman experienceand is derived fromthe interaction of a humanbeing, a biological organism,with her environment. 7. Embodied experienceExperience is shaped by: Human physiology: The senses (sight, hearing, touch, kinesthetics, etc.) Physiological processes (metabolism, thermoregulation, etc.) Features of the cultural environment(including very general ones, e.g. the presence of gravity) 8. What is the meaning in?The meaning is not "in" the words or othersymbols, but in the trained, unconsciousbrain response.This brain activity is controlled by the sensory input,circumventing our volition, and this happensunconsciously (in the "cognitive unconscious"). 9. What is a "concept"?A concept is the activationof some "mental structures": Interactional properties (arising fromembodied interaction, e.g.tactile, visual, "purposive what something isused for) Other concepts, connotations (good, bad) etc. 10. Conventionality Conventional (common) mental structures arestudied by analyzing human activity and itsresults (language, gestures, art, science, etc.). Cognitive semantics also offers theoretical toolsthat can be used to study the creation ofnovel, less conventional structures like mentalspace theory. (originated by Gilles Fauconnier, 1994) 11. What are mental spaces? Structures created "online" while people are thinking or talking. They make it possible to organize conceptual content: which is which which is related to which how this is related to that 12. The content of mental spaces Elements (e.g. concepts) Relations are created among theelements in mental spaces 13. Example: Ive got roses for her.ELEMENTS: Space 1: SELF (the concept of PERSON, etc.) Space 2: ROSES (the concepts of OBJECT, PLANT, etc.) Space 3: SHE (the concept of GENDER, PERSON, etc.) RELATION A: POSSESSION ("I have roses") RELATION B: PURPOSE ("roses for her") 14. We assume that languagecomprehension is an unconsciousprocess of creating mental spacestructure and mental space relations. Language is a tool for controllingthe unconscious process of creatingmental-space networks. 15. Cognitive/conceptual framesIf a mental space contains a structure(a configuration of elements and relations) whichcorresponds to another culturally available mentalstructure (concept, relation, etc.), this structure willbe "recruited" into the mental space.This recruited, known configuration of elementsand relations in a mental space is called a frame. 16. The PURPOSE relation between the elements ROSES and SHE can recruit the frame of: "romantic relationship," "date," "apology," "delivery" (Ive got roses for Jane Smith!), etc. 17. What does this have to dowith Tamarian? 18. The first peculiarityof Tamarian: The use of proper namesinstead of "normal words" (common nouns) 19. The way that proper names work: This is a teacher.This is Robert.1: Mental structure representing 1: Mental structure representingthe part of the environment we are the part of the environment we arepointing topointing to2: teacher: Role (black) and Value 2: Robert: Value (white)(white) 3: Conceptual blend (this=Robert)3: Conceptual blend (this=a teacher) 20. Conclusions: Proper names are different than common nouns in thatthey carry less meaning. For a proper name to be understood, the right mentalstructures need to be activated, ones shared by thelistener and the speaker (e.g. we need to know whoMark is). It is exactly the same for common nouns. 21. The more conventional (common) the experience (mental structure), the less the word works like a proper name. Robert Judas Sandwich 22. The second peculiarityof Tamarian: Theory-of-mind deficitsData: The Tamarian ego structure does not allow what we call self-identity. 23. Theory of Mind Unconscious knowledge about the mental states (thinkingprocess, emotions, intentions) ofanother person. The Sally-Anne test 24. Mental transferB: Do you see me?A: Come closer.B: Im at the X.Where are you?A: Two blocks further. 25. Conclusion: people with a "normal" theory of mind can unconsciouslyrecreate and predict how mental spaces are created in the otherpersons mind and what they contain, which is reflected in language. 26. The peculiarity of Tamarian: theory of mind deficits,an impaired ability to performmental transfer. 27. The Tamarians apparently do havethe tools to control the constructionof mental spaces in others (many words thatare not proper names, gestures).They are not able to make a good useof them.They are not aware of what the otherperson does not know. 28. The third peculiarity of Tamarian: The lack of personal pronouns Personal pronouns: I, you, she...(They do have "it"). 29. Language is a tool used to control the unconscious construction of mentalspaces.If our culture lacks the concept of individuality("self-identity"), we will not be trying to call up thatconcept in the person we are talking to. Result: no personal pronouns or personal verbinflections (e.g. am vs are). 30. What is the role of their non-stop myth and history references? If I dont have the linguistic tools to express mymental state, I can always say "this thing is likethat thing." Proper names are used to point to sharedrepresentations in this manner. Because ofthis, using proper names can partiallycompensate for the cultural lack of conventionaltoolsof expressing the individuals mental states. 31. Krystian, his talk finished.(=Thanks for having me).More stuff at: timetravel.net46.netQuestions, comments, fan-mail: krystian.aparta@gmail.comStar Trek: The Original Series / Star Trek: The Next Generation / Star Trek: Voyager: Copyright CBS ParamountTelevisionReferences:Fauconnier, Giles. Mental Spaces. CUP 1994Langacker, Ronald. Foundations of Cognitive Grammar: Theoretical prerequisites. Stanford University Press 1999 (mental transfer reference)