Where 'Out to Sea' Equals 'Towards the Fire

The Macrocosm-Microcosm Relationship in Languages of the North Pacific Rim

Dados Bibliográficos

ID3777798
AutoresMichael Fortescue (0000-0003-1149-8599, University of Copenhagen, autor correspondente)
Ano2011
Volume53
Fascículo1
Páginas1-14
Data de publicação2011-03-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoAnthropological linguistics (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0003-5483 • E-ISSN: 1944-6527
EditoraProject MUSE (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1353/anl.2011.0003
OpenAlexW2002747342
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas1
Referências citadas10

An unusual conflation in the meaning of directional terms whereby 'out to sea (or the open water)' is equated with 'towards the fireplace' (and the converse, 'to shore' with 'away from the fireplace') has been observed in a number of languages of the Northwest Coast of America and of the Russian Far East. The origin and motivation for this correlation has remained a mystery, being much more specific than the overlap between terms referring to the macrocosm (the geographical surroundings) and to the microcosm (the house) that is typical of Arctic and Subarctic languages. This article presents an explanation for the phenomenon, which appears-surprisingly-to have its roots deep within Siberia

Archaeology · Arctic · Conflation · Converse · Epistemology · Linguistics · Meaning (existential) · Microcosm · Shore · Subarctic climate · Categorization, perception, and language · Geology · History · Lexicography and Language Studies · Linguistics and language evolution · Oceanography · Paleontology · Philosophy