On SENSORY PATH and other asymmetries in the encoding of vision and hearing: the case of English
The present article examines directional encoding of visual and auditory perception in English, i.e., expressions where the relationship between the experiencer and the perceived phenomenon is conveyed as a directional one (e.g., Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore; A low, soft hoot...
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| Udgivet i: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/cognitextes, |
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| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Sprog: | Anglais |
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CogniTextes
2026
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| Online adgang: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Summary: | The present article examines directional encoding of visual and auditory perception in English, i.e., expressions where the relationship between the experiencer and the perceived phenomenon is conveyed as a directional one (e.g., Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore; A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop). Such expressions are analyzed as instances of SENSORY PATH. The analyses reveal that orientation of motion between the experiencer and the perceived phenomenon differs in vision and hearing: while visual experiences are predominantly conceptualized as motion from the experiencer, auditory ones tend to be conveyed as motion towards the experiencer. The observed distinction is explained by physiological differences between visual and auditory perception and by related issues of control and volitionality. Furthermore, the paper shows that the difference in directionality patterns is a manifestation of a more general tendency observed at different levels of linguistic analysis: experiencer-orientedness in vision versus experienced-orientedness in hearing. Moreover, a great variety of participants involved in the SENSORY PATH schema points out to its heterogeneity – thus, an updated version of the schema is suggested: EXPERIENCER AS SOURCE versus EXPERIENCER AS GOAL. Finally, the paper introduces new types of sensory directionality (not categorized as SENSORY PATH): EXPERIENCER ⟲ ENTITY; EXPERIENCER (ENTITY→) and EXPERIENCER⇔ EXPERIENCER. |
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