Penelope Brown
Time and Space in Tzeltal: Is the Future Uphill?
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
linguistic expressions time often draw spatial language prompting one wonder whether cultural specificity spatial language cognition reflected thinking time mayan language tzeltal spatial language relies heavily absolute frame reference utilizing overall slope land distinguishing uphilldownhill axis orthogonal crossways axis basis objects scales located absolute system calculating spatial relations carry construals temporal relations question explored study tzeltal consultants produced temporal expressions performed two different nonlinguistic temporal ordering tasks results show least five distinct schemata conceptualizing time underlie tzeltal linguistic expressions deictic egocentered time ii time ordered sequence eg firstlater iii cyclic time times day seasons iv time spatial extension location eg enteringexiting july v time vector extending uphillwards future paper examines conditions promoting one another schemata argues systematic consistent use spatial language absolute frame reference necessarily transfer consistent absolute time conceptualization nonlinguistic tasks time appears open alternative construals