<意味構造>の観点からみた味覚形容詞の意味拡張 - 「甘い」を中心に -

Abstract

This study examined the process of meaning extension of 「amai」. While many of the existing studies of taste adjectives discussed from the contrasting linguistic perspective and the cognitive linguistic perspective, this study studied polysemy from a new perspective called <Structure of Meaning>. 「amai」 can be structured into “criteria as presumption”, “content of events”, and “response”. In addition, under this structure, it can be divided into four main usages, depending on the meaning and nature of the object. In the case of 「amai」, it can be classified into the usages of “description of taste,” “description of attitude,” “movement and state of things,” and “evaluation of aspects,” and seem to make various transitions. Looking at the structure of 「amai」 specifically, it is found to be a polysemy that start with the semantic items of “not up to the standard” and “feel good” and changes its meanings according to the nature of the object that it describes(evaluates).