A Study on Path Categories in Motion Events

Authors

  • Tao Zhang

    School of Foreign Languages, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing 401331, China
  • Zhiqiang Yang

    School of Foreign Languages, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing 401331, China
  • Sijia Chen

    School of International Studies, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i2.7668
Received: 7 November 2024 | Revised: 7 January 2025 | Accepted: 10 January 2025 | Published Online: 17 January 2025

Abstract

This study addresses the ongoing debate regarding the categorization of the semantic component of Path, a core schema in motion events. Building on a review of previous proposals and considering the relationship between the motion of the Figure and the Ground (or the speaker), as well as typical patterns of directional motion observed in the physical world and conceptualized by languages, we propose a framework comprising four categories of Path: (1) “The Ground constitutes the origin, path, or destination of the Figure’s motion,” (2) “The Ground, located in the spatial orientation of the Figure, constitutes the direction of its motion,” (3) “Place deixis,” and (4) “Typical schemas of the Figure’s motion in the physical world,” encompassing at least 25 specific types. Furthermore, we compare how directional prepositions and satellites—the two primary direction markers—encode these Path types in Spanish and Chinese, with English as a reference. The findings show that these direction markers convey the four Path categories in complementary ways: directional prepositions primarily convey the first category, while satellites cover the remaining three. This supports the argument that directional prepositions, which also express a category of Path, should not be excluded from analyses of satellite-framed patterns. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how languages encode Path and suggests that the interplay between prepositions and satellites in encoding Path categories can offer new insights into motion event semantics.

Keywords:

Path Categories; Verb-Framed Language; Satellite-Framed Language; Chinese; Spanish

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How to Cite

Zhang, T., Yang, Z., & Chen, S. (2025). A Study on Path Categories in Motion Events. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(2), 72–82. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i2.7668

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Vol. 7 , Iss. 2 (February 2025): In Progress

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Copyright © 2025 Tao Zhang, Zhiqiang Yang, Sijia Chen

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