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Article published In: Historiographia Linguistica
Vol. 22:1/2 (1995) ► pp.123–162

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19th and 20th century theories of case

A comparison of localist and cognitive approaches

 | Emory University
Published online: 1 January 1995
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https://doi.org/10.1075/hl.22.1-2.06cie
Summary
This article considers the similarities and differences between two types of semantically-based approaches to the study of grammatical case. One approach, which views the basic meanings of cases as spatial, stems from the localist hypothesis, which claims that spatial expressions serve as structural templates for other expressions. This view was most strongly espoused by certain German linguists in the 19th century, but has found support in the 20th century as well. The range of localist theories of case and the extent of the claims made by different localists are considered. These are compared and contrasted with contemporary approaches subsumed under the banner of ‘cognitive linguistics’. Research in this vein has focussed on the role of spatial notions in the semantics of case, but within a broader framework of human conceptualization. According to this view, space is only one of several domains which are basic to cognitive representation.
Résumé
Le présent article a pour objet l’étude des similarités et des différences entre deux types d’approches au cas grammatical fondées sur la sémantique. La première approche, qui considère le cas d’un point de vue spatial, provient de l’hypothèse localiste qui soutient que les expressions spatiales servent de grilles structurales aux autres expressions. Cette position a été surtout préconisée par certains linguistes allemands au XIXe siècle, mais elle a été également soutenue au XXe siècle. La gamme des théories localistes du cas et l’envergure des propositions faites par les différents localistes sont ici discutés. Celles-ci sont comparées et opposées aux approches actuelles de la ‘linguistique cognitive’. La recherche dans ce cadre théorique s’est concentrée sur le rôle des notions de l’espace dans la sémantique du cas, mais à l’intérieur d’un cadre plus large sur la conceptualisation humaine. De ce point de vue, l’espace n’est qu’un domaine parmi tant d’autres qui sont essentiels à la représentation cognitive.
Zusammenfassung
Dieser Aufsatz befaßt sich mit den Ähnlichkeiten und Unterschieden zwischen zwei Arten von semantisch fundierten Betrachtungsweisen des grammatischen Kasus. Die eine, in der die Grundbedeutungen der Kasus als räumlich betrachtet werden, geht auf den Lokalismus zurück. Diesem theoretischen Standpunkt gemäß dienen räumliche Ausdrücke als strukturelle Schablone für andere Ausdrücke. Für diesen Standpunkt traten am kräftigsten einige deutsche Sprachforscher im 19. Jahrhundert ein, aber er fand auch in diesem Jahrhundert Anhänger. Der Umfang der lokalistischen Kasustheorien und die Breite der Vorschläge, die verschiedene Lokalisten für ihre Theorie gemacht haben, werden ausführlich diskutiert. Sie werden anschließend mit heutigen Betrachtungsweisen, die unter der Rubrik ‘kognitive Linguistik’ zusammengefaßt sind, verglichen und kontrastiert. Forschungen in dieser Richtung haben sich ebenfalls auf die Rolle räumlicher Begriffe in der Semantik der Kasus konzentriert, aber sie sind bei ihnen auf den breiteren Rahmen der menschlichen Begriffsfähigkeit gegründet. Dieser Ansicht zufolge ist Raum nur eins unter verschiedenen Feldern, die für die kognitive Darstellung grundlegend sind.
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