Introducing Cognitive Linguistics Oxford Handbooks

Introducing Cognitive Linguistics
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date: 06 June 2022
sections will have acquired a fairly thorough knowledge of the fundamental analytic con­
cepts and descriptive models of Cognitive Linguistics and their background. The follow­
ing three sections of the
Handbook
apply these basics to various more specific domains. 
The section “Linguistic Structure and Language Use” illustrates how Cognitive Linguis­
tics deals with the traditional subdomains of grammar, ranging from phonetics and mor­
phology over lexicon and syntax to text and discourse. Separate chapters are devoted to 
topics that have received special attention in Cognitive Linguistics.
The chapters in the section “Linguistic Variation and Change” focus on different types of 
variation within and between languages. Next to diachronic change and sociolinguistic 
variation, these include typological variation (with related chapters on anthropological 
linguistics and linguistic relativity) and language acquisition (seen as variation in the 
individual's knowledge of the language). A chapter on sign language may also be placed 
within this section, given that sign language involves a change in the medium of commu­
nication.
The final section groups chapters that deal with “Applied and Interdisciplinary Perspec­
tives.” The interdisciplinary links with fields of research like philosophy and psychology 
are very important for Cognitive Linguistics. As it is one of the tenets of Cognitive Lin­
guistics that linguistic knowledge is not separated from other forms of cognition, the dis­
ciplines studying those other aspects of human knowledge will be natural conversation