La representación mental de la duda a través del tiempo : Gramaticalización y esquemas mentales

Abstract

The noun duda has been a subject of interest in various studies focusing on multiple discursive constructions. The functioning of these units and the semantic changes they undergo when exposed to new usage contexts has been extensively explored. However, beyond these specific scenarios, there has been limited interest in discerning the changes it has undergone as a nominal and how these changes may have contributed to its constructionalization. This research represents a, albeit general, approach to the changes that the noun duda has exhibited from the 13th century to the early 21st century in terms of its image schema. In essence, it offers a description of the evolving conceptualizations of doubt over time, beginning with an analysis of the verb class with which it co-occurs. Consequently, a correlation is observed between the domains of location, existence, and possession in constructions where doubt is present, along with an exploration of how these domains contribute to the generalization of the noun's usage contexts. While this research is grounded in an explanation of the data using the theory of grammaticalization, its objective is to delve into the semantics of doubt through the concept of image schema proposed by cognitive grammar. The assumption is that the association between the user's experience and a grammatical unit is integral to its conceptualization. As this association recurs, it becomes schematized in language and encoded in syntax.