Rethinking body partonymy: transverse analogous paradigms across world languages

Abstract

Abstract

The part-whole relations of body-part lexemes, or “body partonymy,” might seem like a key source of evidence for shared conceptual systems in support of embodiment theories of cognition, but widespread variation in this lexical field across world languages calls this assumption into question. Recent studies focus on radical mismatches and random overlap relative to isolated frames of contrast such as body joints, reference languages, and ad hoc hierarchies. This study takes a fresh approach to comparative research on body partonymy by focusing on analogous relations between upper- and lower-body membership sets or “transverse analogous paradigms” (TAP), hypothesizing that most world languages feature strong evidence of such relations. Focusing on upper and lower “limb” (arm/leg) relationships, I test this hypothesis on an original database of 50 world languages built from detailed lexicographic sources quota sampled for broad distribution in terms of physical geography, population size, and genetic linguistic diversity. The analysis operationalizes four degrees of evidence: transverse parallel conceptions, with or without arm/leg matching, followed by transverse colexifications, and transverse paradigm sets. Coding for these four degrees of evidence reveals moderate evidence for TAP in all languages sampled, with 76% ( n = 38) showing comprehensive indices (four out of four degrees), an additional eleven (22%, 98% total) showing strong indices (three out of four degrees) and only one language showing modest evidence (two out of four degrees). Findings demonstrate the value of reorienting comparative body partonym studies to the intrinsic organization of upright posture itself, with potentially broader implications for theorizing the cognitive foundations of grammar and the origins of advanced conceptual blending.