Le centre n’est pas au milieu (et inversement). Pour une approche phénoménologique et gestaltiste de la localisation

Centre (center) and milieu (middle) are Nouns of Internal Localization (NIL). They combine with the preposition à to form complex locative preposition phrases such as NP0 au milieu de NP1 (at the middle of) and NP0 au centre de NP1 (at the center of). Referentialist semantics characterizes these con...

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Main Author: Philippe Gréa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cercle linguistique du Centre et de l'Ouest - CerLICO 2012-12-01
Series:Corela
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/corela/2831
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author Philippe Gréa
author_facet Philippe Gréa
author_sort Philippe Gréa
collection DOAJ
description Centre (center) and milieu (middle) are Nouns of Internal Localization (NIL). They combine with the preposition à to form complex locative preposition phrases such as NP0 au milieu de NP1 (at the middle of) and NP0 au centre de NP1 (at the center of). Referentialist semantics characterizes these constructions with reference to a geometric interpretation of centre and milieu. This paper challenges the referentialist approach and shows that the distinction between au milieu de and au centre de hinges on two semantic criteria. The first criterion has to do with whether NP1 is bounded or not. The second criterion concerns the functional meaning of NP0 with respect to NP1. These two criteria account for linguistic phenomena that range from the concrete domain (concrete nouns in the singular and in the plural, mass nouns, collective nouns) to the abstract domain (intensifying names and action names).The study of these two preposition phrases is also a good opportunity to propose a renewed approach to localization based on philosophy, and more precisely phenomenology. We develop the following idea : au centre de/au milieu de impose distinct perspectivizing effects and localize radically different elements, even when these elements are apparently synonyms. To substantiate these claims, we use the Gestalt-based opposition between figure and ground. We show that au centre de makes a functional link with a bounded whole (a figure), whereas au milieu de implies a coincidence with a substance whose boundaries are not specified.
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publishDate 2012-12-01
publisher Cercle linguistique du Centre et de l'Ouest - CerLICO
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spelling doaj-art-e95ab17aea1f45d39c895b1f1a32fad12025-08-20T02:37:38ZengCercle linguistique du Centre et de l'Ouest - CerLICOCorela1638-573X2012-12-011210.4000/corela.2831Le centre n’est pas au milieu (et inversement). Pour une approche phénoménologique et gestaltiste de la localisationPhilippe GréaCentre (center) and milieu (middle) are Nouns of Internal Localization (NIL). They combine with the preposition à to form complex locative preposition phrases such as NP0 au milieu de NP1 (at the middle of) and NP0 au centre de NP1 (at the center of). Referentialist semantics characterizes these constructions with reference to a geometric interpretation of centre and milieu. This paper challenges the referentialist approach and shows that the distinction between au milieu de and au centre de hinges on two semantic criteria. The first criterion has to do with whether NP1 is bounded or not. The second criterion concerns the functional meaning of NP0 with respect to NP1. These two criteria account for linguistic phenomena that range from the concrete domain (concrete nouns in the singular and in the plural, mass nouns, collective nouns) to the abstract domain (intensifying names and action names).The study of these two preposition phrases is also a good opportunity to propose a renewed approach to localization based on philosophy, and more precisely phenomenology. We develop the following idea : au centre de/au milieu de impose distinct perspectivizing effects and localize radically different elements, even when these elements are apparently synonyms. To substantiate these claims, we use the Gestalt-based opposition between figure and ground. We show that au centre de makes a functional link with a bounded whole (a figure), whereas au milieu de implies a coincidence with a substance whose boundaries are not specified.https://journals.openedition.org/corela/2831collective interpretationdistributive interpretationthemeinstigatorgeometralfigure / ground
spellingShingle Philippe Gréa
Le centre n’est pas au milieu (et inversement). Pour une approche phénoménologique et gestaltiste de la localisation
Corela
collective interpretation
distributive interpretation
theme
instigator
geometral
figure / ground
title Le centre n’est pas au milieu (et inversement). Pour une approche phénoménologique et gestaltiste de la localisation
title_full Le centre n’est pas au milieu (et inversement). Pour une approche phénoménologique et gestaltiste de la localisation
title_fullStr Le centre n’est pas au milieu (et inversement). Pour une approche phénoménologique et gestaltiste de la localisation
title_full_unstemmed Le centre n’est pas au milieu (et inversement). Pour une approche phénoménologique et gestaltiste de la localisation
title_short Le centre n’est pas au milieu (et inversement). Pour une approche phénoménologique et gestaltiste de la localisation
title_sort le centre n est pas au milieu et inversement pour une approche phenomenologique et gestaltiste de la localisation
topic collective interpretation
distributive interpretation
theme
instigator
geometral
figure / ground
url https://journals.openedition.org/corela/2831
work_keys_str_mv AT philippegrea lecentrenestpasaumilieuetinversementpouruneapprochephenomenologiqueetgestaltistedelalocalisation