Almalech, Mony. Cognitive Basis Of Semiotcs Of Color. Plan

COGNITIVE BASIS OF THE SEMIOTICS OF COLOR MONY ALMALECH Southeast European Center for Semiotic Studies, NBU Plan for the paper presented at 3rd Late Spring School in Semiotics LSSS’08 “Cognitive semiotics” 27-29 May, New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria

TASK: To describe the non-color meaning of colors. MAIN PROBLEMS: Compared to the natural language the color language has very small amount of lexemes – the colors and the color terms (basic and non-basic). In the best case – 20-30 lexemes. The expected ambiguity should be much higher than the ambiguity in the natural languages. The human anatomy has an organ of perception of the signs but has no “organs of speech”. The colors are percept visually (non-Verbalized color language) and by natural langiages (Verbalized color language ). METHODS 1. Non-color meanings of colors in the Folklore Balkan marriage and burial (Visual perception of color) [Almalech, 1996; Алмалех, 1997; 2006а; 2007]. If we recall the main folklore ritual meanings of colors, we shall see that a kern of small number of mutual meanings exists. This kern represents the universal non-color meanings of colors. 2. Basic color terms (Linguistic channel of the perception of color) and Prototypes for colors. Object of my interest are not only basic color terms in sense of Berlin & 1

Kay [Berlin and Kay, 1969] but also Rosch’s prototypes. That means the use of the Prototype theory of E. Rosch and G. Lakoff [Lakoff, 1987], keeping in mind Wierzbicka’s rationalization [Wierzbicka, 1990] on Prototype theory and Berlin & Kay’s theory [Алмалех, 1997-98; 2001; 2006а; 2006b; 2007]. 2.1. Prototype Theory. The term is used by G. Lakoff [Lakoff, 1987] to express the efforts in philosophy, linguistics and cognitive science to describe the process of categorization on the basis of prototypes. A special interest for us is E. Rosch’ research [Rosch, 1972; 1973; 1975a/; 1975b/;1975c/; 1976 et al; 1977; 1978]. 2.2. Fuzzy sets and semantics of basic color terms and prototypes. Everything mentioned on the issue of semantics of color terms could be given a new meaning if we recall the fuzzy sets theory. Kay and McDaniel accept color terms’ semantics of current languages as fuzzy sets [Kay & McDaniel, 1978]. Such application of a formal theory is strongly consistent if we take into account the references of color terms in current languages. William Chafe [×åéô, 1975, 96-100], and many others, mentioned these differences in current languages very clearly. 2.3. Ambiguity of the color terms denotation also is kept in mind. This is a problem that can be observed in contemporary contrastive area where the understanding passes through so called focal colors. 2.4. United linguistic and cultural factors. Weirzbitcka [Weirzbitcka, 1990] united the linguistic factor to the cultural one by uniting Berlin and Kay’s paradigm to the E. Rosch’s prototypes, including the ideas of Witkowski & Brown [Witkowski & Brown, 0866] for Macro light and Macro dark colors. By this step the cognitive processes took a reasonable advantage on both the linguistic and cultural data. The 2

cognitive side of both and their strong relationship have been examined by A. Weirzbitcka. Weirzbitcka’s point of view [Weirzbitcka, 1990] can recall support by G. Lakoff’s research [Lakoff, 1987] as well as Lakoff-Johnson’s study [Lakoff & Johnson, 1980] where the prototype theory, and the metaphor models were developed as cognitive phenomena. The notion and categorization on focal colors is universal, trans-cultural and trans-ethnical. The ‘natural prototypes’ for the colors are: for red - fire/flame; for blue - sky/sea; for green - all plants; for yellow - the sun; for white - the light, snow and/or milk; for black - coals, darkness. 2.5 Statistics-Semanitcs. Conclusions of the Russian, Ukrainian and Israeli linguist and semiotician Wolf Moskovich based on models which treat the relation ‘statistics – semantics’ [Москович, 1969, c. 74]. The statistics on color terms in different texts – the Norm for Word-associations, Contemporary Bulgarian novels, the Bible in different languages including Hebrew– has semiotic aspects. 3. Psycholinguistics. Kent & Rosanoff’s Test [Kent, Rosanoff, 1910] is used in an active manner. Bulgarian Norm of Word-Association [Герганов, 1984], and Bulgarian Norm of Word-Association on Color Terms [Алмалех, 1997-98; 2001] as applications of Kent and Rosanoff’s method. Bulgarian Norm of Word-Association on Color Terms shows that the biggest statistical frequency at the Norm belongs to the terms on prototypes and their most specific qualities. The responses at the word-association test can be considered as linguistic and non-linguistic unconscious and conscious knowledge on the kernel meanings of the colors. The paradigm of responses also has the ability to mirror personal unconscious knowledge based on individual experience plus social formed meanings. That is why the list of word-

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associations represents the universal non-color meanings and the non-universal meanings of colors. This fact of universality of the responses is well known. In 1961 Rosenzweig marks the universal character of wordassociations in the frame of the Kent-Rosanoff’ list across French, English, Italian languages and German Norms of Free Word Associations: “there was a strong tendency for primary responses to corresponding stimulus-words to be equivalent in meaning […], similar associations tend to occur among words of similar meaning” [Rosenzweig, 1961, 359-360]. This is a proof on the universalities in the linguistic conscious and subconscious when the semantisations of colors take place. What is new here is the accepting such universality as a proof on cognitive unconscious and conscious knowledge on the kernel meanings of the colors. Universal non-color meanings are kernel at the color language of any type. It should be bolded here that the meanings at the VERBALIZED VERSION are observed at both − in the Norm of Word associations, as well as in the Bulgarian novels of Emilian Stanev and Dimitar Talev. 4. Prototypes, Word-associations and Universal noncolor meanings. The results of the Bulgarian Norm show that the biggest statistical frequency at the Norm belongs to the terms on prototypes and the most specific qualities of theirs [Алмалех, 97-98; 2001]. This calls for a list of the corresponding meanings between the Norm of WordAssociations, and the Folklore, and Secret Religious-Mystic area. The list is full of synonyms. That is why, we speak about kernel meanings which are mutual between THE nonVERBALIZED COLOR LANGUAGE (FOLKLORE, SECRET RELIGIOUS-MYSTIC KNOWLEDGE [Almalech, 1996; Алмалех, 1997; 2006a; 2007]) and THE VERBALIZED COLOR

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LANGUAGE (IN, AND OUT OF CONTEXT [Алмалех, 97-98; 2001; 2006b]). BIBLIOGRAPHY Almalech, 1996: Almalech, Mony. Balkan Folk Color Language. Significance of Color in Balkan Folkore - Marriage and Burial. Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" Press, 1996, Sofia. Berlin, Kay, 1969: Berlin, Brent, Kay, Paul. Basic Color Terms: Their Universality and Evolution., Berkeley, Los Angeles, 1969, University of California Press. Kay, 1975: Kay, Paul. Synchronic Variability and Diachronic Change in Basic Color Terms. In: Language Society 4, 1975, 257-270. Kay & McDaniel, 1978: Kay, Paul, McDaniel, Chad. Color Categories as Fuzzy Sets. Working Paper № 44. In: Language Behavior Research Laboratory. University of California, Berkley. Kent & Rosanoff, 1910: Kent, Helen, Rosanoff, Aaron. A Study of Association in Insanity. In: American Journal of Insanity, 1910, vol. 67, 1, 37-96, Part II, vol. 67, 2, 317-390. Lakoff & Johnson, 1980: Lakoff, George, Mark Johnson. Metaphors we live by. University of Cicago Press, 1980, Chicago IL, London. Lakoff, 1987: Lakoff, George. Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things: What Categories Reveal about the Mind. The University of Chicago Press, 1987, Chicago and London. Rosch, 1972: Rosch, Eleanor. Universals in Color Naming and Memory. In: Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1972, 93, № 1: 10-20. Rosch, 1973: Natural Categories, Cognitive Psychology, 1973, №4: 328-350. Rosch, 1975a: Rosch, Eleanor. The nature of mental codes for color categories. In: Experimental Psychology: Human Perseption and Performance, 1975, 1, 303-332. Rosch, 1975b: Rosch, Eleanor. Universals and cultural specifics in human categorization. - In: Cross-cultural perspectives on learning. Richard Brislin, Stephen Bochner and Walter Lonner, eds. 1975, P. 177-206. New York, 1972: Wiley. Rosch, 1975c: Cognitive representations of semantic categories. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1975b: General, 104, 192-233. Rosch, et al 1976: E. Rosch, C. Mervis, W. Gray, D. Johnson, P. Boyes-Braem. Basic Objects in Natural Categories. In: Cognitive Psychology, 1976, 8, 382-439. Rosch, 1977: Human categorization. In N. Warren (Ed.), Advances in Crosscultural psychology. New York: Academic Press. 1977. Vol. 1. Rosch, 1978: Rosch, Eleanor. Principle of categorizations. In: Cognition and Categorization, 1978. E. Rosch, B. Lloyd [eds], Hillsdale: Lawrence 5

Earlbaum, 27-48. Rosenzweig, 1961. Rosenzweig, Mark. Comparisons among word association responses in English, French, German and Italian. In: American journal of psychology, 1961, 74, 3, 347-360. Wierzbicka, 1990. Wierzbicka, Anna. The Meaning of Color Terms: Semantics, Cultures and Cognition. In: Cognitive Linguistics, 1990, 1-1, 99-150. Witkowski, Brown, 1977: Witkowski, Stanley, Brown, Cecil. An Explanation of Color Nomenclature Universals. In: American Anthropologist, 1977, 79, 1, 50-57. Алмалех, 1997: Алмалех, Мони. Цветовете в Балканския фолклор. Езикът на цветовете. Университетско издателство “Св. Климент Охридски”, 1997, София. (Almalech, Mony. The Colors in the Balkan Folklore. The Language of the Colors. Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" Press, 1997, Sofia.) Алмалех, 1997-98: Алмалех, Мони. Норма на българските словесни асоциации на термини за цвят. − В: Български език, 1997-98, № 2, 7188. Almalech, Mony 1997-8. Bulgarian Norm for word associations to Basic Color Terms. In: Bulgarian Language, 1997-98, 2, 71-88. Institute for Bulgarian Language, Bulgarian Academy of Science, Sofia.) Алмалех, 2001: Алмалех, Мони. Цвят и слово: Психолингвистични и прагматични аспекти. Академично издателство “Проф. Марин Дринов”, 2001, София. (Almalech, Mony. Color Language and Natural Language: Psycholinguistc and Pragmatic Approach, Academic Press “Prof. Marin Drinov”, 2001, Sofia.) Алмалех, 2006а: Алмалех, Мони Корени. Семиотика на цвета. „Велес”, 2006, София. (Almalech, Mony. Roots. Semiotcs of the Colors. Publishing House of “Veles” 2006, Sofia.) Алмалех, 2006b: Алмалех, Мони. Цветът в Петокнижието. Езикова картина на света (върху иврит, български и други езици). Университетско издателство „Св. Климент Охридски”. София, 2006. 479 c. (Almalech, Mony 2006b. The Colors in the Pentateuch. Lingustic Relativity. On Hebrew, Bulgarian, Latin, Greek and English. Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" Press, Sofia.) Алмалех, 2007: Алмалех, Мони. Езикът на цветовете. Цветовете в балканския фолклор; Библейско чревено; Рекламата – цвят и символи. „Аскони-издат”, 2007, София. (Almalech, Mony. The Language of Colors. Balkan Folk Color Language; Biblical Red; Advertisements – Symbols and Colors. “Askoni-Izdat”. Sofia.) Герганов, 1984: Герганов, Енчо. Българска норма за словесни асоциации. Наука и изкуство, 1984, София. (Gerganov, Encho. Bulgarian Norm of Word Associations, Nauka i Iskustvo, Sofia, 1984). E. Gerganov, Nauka i Iskustvo, Sofia, 1984.) 6

Москович, 1969. Статистика и семантика. Опыт статистического анализа семантического поля. Изтальство „Наука”, Москва, 1969. (Moskovich, Wolf. Statistics and semantics. Attempt on statistical analysis of semantic field. Publishing house of “Nauka”, 1969, Moskow.) Чейф, 1975: Чейф, Уолас. Значение и структура языка. Москва, 1975. (Chafe, Wallace. Meaning and Structure of Language. The University of Chicago Press, 1971, Chicago and London.)

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