In:This is the Thing: A cognitive/typological investigation into the concept of ‘thinghood’
Michael Fortescue
[Human Cognitive Processing 79] 2026
► pp. v–vi
Published online: 5 January 2026
https://doi.org/10.1075/hcp.79.toc
https://doi.org/10.1075/hcp.79.toc
Table of contents
Preface
vii
Chapter 1.Introduction
1
Chapter 2.The historical origins of ‘thing’ words
5
2.1Words for ‘thing’ in Indo-European languages
5
2.2Words for ‘thing’ outside of Indo-European
11
Chapter 3.The semantics of ‘thing’ words
17
3.1What counts as ‘thinghood’?
17
3.2The semantic extension of ‘thing’ words
28
Chapter 4.The abstractness of ‘thing’ words
33
4.1Degrees of abstractness
33
4.2The categorization of ‘things’
38
Chapter 5.The thing as gestalt
48
5.1Gestalt theory
48
5.2The Figure/Ground relationship
56
Chapter 6.Things in context
60
6.1Reference to ‘things’ in texts
60
6.2The variety of contextual influences on words
65
6.3The eigenstate model of ‘thing’ words
68
Chapter 7.Misplaced concreteness: Words for ‘soul’ and ‘mind’
74
7.1Why ‘soul’ and ‘mind’ are not things
74
7.2What is meant by ‘soul’ in animistic and European cultures
81
7.3Words for ‘mind’
89
Chapter 8.What ‘it’ refers to
94
8.1Words for ‘it’ across languages
94
8.2The semantic extent of ‘it’ words
103
8.3Neuter gender and classificatory systems
105
Chapter 9.There’s something to it…
114
9.1Indefinite pronouns
114
9.2There’s nothing to it
121
Chapter 10.Further functions of ‘thing’ and ‘something’ words
127
10.1The grammatical functionality of ‘thing’ words
127
10.2Doing something
130
Chapter 11.The properties of things
134
11.1Primary and secondary qualities
134
11.2The intrinsic shape of things
140
11.3Interaction with things
148
Chapter 12.Philosophical and scientific approaches to ‘things’
152
12.1Changing philosophical positions through the ages
152
12.2A scientific perspective on the perception of objects
156
Chapter 13.The ‘thing’ in art
164
13.1The relation to visual perception in European art
164
13.2Abstraction in Northwest Coast Indian art
175
Chapter 14.The semantic source of ‘thing’ words revisited
181
14.1Semantic change and variation
181
14.2Alternative words for ‘thing’
186
Chapter 15.Conclusions
190
References
198
Appendixes
Appendix 1.Words for body and animal
208
Appendix 2.Words for shape, form and figure
213
Subject index
Name index
Language index
