Cognitive Semantic Analysis of the Verb, ‘Tuur’ in TIV

Abstract

This study presents a cognitive semantic analysis of the verb tuur ‘push’ in the Tiv language. As a contribution to the ongoing research on indigenous language verbs in cognitive linguistics generally and cognitive semantics in particular, the study uses the cognitive semantics approach to examine the Tiv language verb tuur, ‘push’ beyond the structure of the verb and `into the psychological and abstract semantics of the verb. The central objective of this study is to initiate a cognitive semantic study of Tiv verbs. The theoretical framework adopted for the analysis of the meanings of the verb is cognitive semantics. In an attempt to study the semantics of the verb ‘tuur’ we examine the role three image schemas (namely containment, path and force schemas) play in conceptual interaction with tuur, especially about metaphor (Lehrer and Feder, 1992). The findings show that the experience we have as we go through the maturing stage of life, as interaction takes place in society motivates basic conceptual structure which makes understanding and language possible. The study reveals that the verb falls into three image schemas follows the CONTAINMENT, the PATH and the FORCE (Jackendoff, 1990). The study also reveals that ‘tuur’ is not semantically empty. Our analysis also discloses that the image schemas of ‘tuur’ are conceptual constructs which can be metaphorically extended from physical to psychological and concrete to abstract domains. Further research requiring a broader database is recommended herewith to ascertain other possible schemas and metaphorical meaning extensions of the verb.