The Interplay of Synonymy and Polysemy

53 | 
terms that refer to numerical values or even information in general, such as 
novedades 
‘novelties (news)’.
Table 2
. Examples of 
INITIATORS
with accompanying 
MOVANTS
from the 
PRODUCING
DATA 
construction with 
arrojar
. 
I
NITIATOR
: Event 
M
OVANT
 
encuentro 
‘meeting’
novedades 
‘novelties’ 
accidente 
‘accident’ 
saldo 
‘balance’ 
enfrentamiento ‘confrontation’ NUMBER 
operación 
‘operation’ 
resultados 
‘results’ 
experiencia 
‘experience’ 
resultado 
‘result’ 
I
NITIATOR
: Data 
M
OVANT
 
total 
‘total’ 
NUMBER 
resultado 
‘result’ 
datos 
‘data’ 
cálculo 
‘calculation’ 
NUMBER 
censo 
‘census’
cómputo 
‘count’ 
inventario 
‘inventory’ 
UNKNOWN 
The 
PRODUCING DATA
construction is a motivated metaphorical extension from the 
central meaning of 
arrojar
(the 
THROWING
construction). The 
THROWING
schema involves the 
three participants under study: an 
INITIATOR
, a 
MOVANT
and a 
DIRECTIONAL
. The participants 
in the 
PRODUCING DATA
schema can be labeled 
SOURCE
and 
INFORMATION
10
. Figure 2 shows 
the linking relationships that exist between the participants in both schemas and between the 
schemas as a whole.
Figure 2
. Links relating the 
THROWING
schema to the 
PRODUCING
DATA
schema 
 
Links a) and b) show the connections between the participant roles of each schema
11
. 
A 
SOURCE
can be seen as an extension (a) from an 
INITIATOR
. They are both the initial 
component of the “event”, they are both sources of energy, and they are both seen as causers. 
10
It is possible to view this schema for 
PRODUCING 
data as an abstraction of two lower-level schemas. One 
schema has events as the first element, while the other schema has data or calculations as the first element.
11
There are other connections within and across the schemas that are not included in the figure. Each role has 
a relation to the other roles and to the verb, which Langacker (2008) would call correspondences. The two 
constructions can also be compared at this level. It is possible to say for example, that the relation between 
INITIATOR
and 
MOVANT
is similar to the relation between 
SOURCE
and 
INFORMATION
. It would be connected by an 
extension link.
I
NITIATOR
arrojar 
M
OVANT
D
IRECTIONAL
S
OURCE
arrojar 
I
NFORMATION
a) 
b) 
c) 

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An extension link can also be posited for the 
MOVANT
and 
INFORMATION
elements. 
I
NFORMATION 
is something that is given off and that comes from the source. This also applies 
to 
MOVANTS 
but in a physical sense.
At an abstract level these first two participants of each 
construction are quite parallel. The two schemas do not coincide in the final element. The 
throwing sense involves a 
DIRECTIONAL
and there is no equivalent or parallel role in the 
PRODUCING DATA
schema.
The link shown in c) expresses that the entire schemas are linked, such that the 
PRODUCING DATA
schema is an extension of the 
THROWING
schema. This is true because of 
several intertwined factors. The entire meaning of each construction is related, producing 
information can be seen as a meaning extension from throwing. It is also an extension 
relation by virtue of the links that exist between the specific participants.
It is possible to view the connection between the two schemas at a more coarse-
grained level. The focus is no longer on the participants, but on the overall meaning. Then we 
can posit an abstract schema that covers both uses.