es2b.htmlTEXTMSWDØØØØ=ɨp‰è¨wg_ªªZþPrinciples of Ethnosemantics -- Chapter 2, Part 2

Principles of Ethnosemantics (ES)
Chapter 2, Part 2

Leon James Department of Psychology University of Hawaii 1975

Display Repertoire

[8] The minimal structure of a topic nominal display is the deictic. The deictic is a topical mechanism that allows the operation of localization or topic identification. In the visual modality of interaction, pointing with the finger or other part of the body) is ratified as a localization or identification exchange. In traffic signals, the arrow is a familiar deictic that has a literal correspondence with allowable direction or possible motion (analogic correspondence). Red lights at traffic intersections are digital or non-continuous deictics (since there is no physicalist correspondence between the color red and the operation of waiting in traffic). Address, Social Security Number, and Etc. are identifying deictic topic nominals in that they localize or isolate an individual uniquely in an exhaustively characterized set.

In common discourse there are a multiplicity of devices that function deictically to identify topic nominals: pronouns (him, us, it), demonstratives (this, that, which, whose), localizing discourse hinges (above; in the ensuing paragraphs; the case mentioned on p.607), indices, names, titles, and markers.

[9] The deictic function of minimal topic nominals, thus allows the ethnosemantic operation of topic identification, which is a pre-condition for making an assertion or a comment. Topic nominals of a higher order of organization allow the operation of identification neologically, viz. achieving singular references; these are commonly called "productive" and constitute the bulk of topic nominals in ordinary discourse.

Note that deictic topic nominals are conventionalized forms of reference and identification using a pre-established topic nominal of a higher order. They may have minimal display features (e.g. the letter "A"; the number "1"; the punctuation mark "."), or sophisticated ones (e.g. "The Constitution of the United States of America").

The derivation of topic nominals neologically is specifiable through the identification of its constituent topic fragments. Intersection markers called topic intersection operators allow the derivation of the constituent structure. Topic Intersection Operators are conventionalized meta-topical entities commonly recognized as "functors" or "function words" (of, to, in, above, and etc.), and less commonly recognized as morphophonemic elements ("to" in "to vote"; "-ing" in "walking"; "re-" in "recognition" and "return"; "-ous" in "pulchritudinous"; and Etc.). Consider the following neologically derived topic nominals:

1. Basking.

2. Basking in the air.

3. Basking in the air of delightful studies.

4. Basking in the air of delightful studies with nothing on my mind.

5. Basking in the air of delightful studies with nothing on my mind and plenty in my stomach.

6. Basking in the air of delightful studies with nothing on my mind and plenty in my stomach, with heart content, and work completed, without the slightest tinge of guilt or anger or resentment, [I yawn uncontrollably.]

First it can be appreciated (especially if the reader tries it himself) that there seems to be no limit to the length, size, or complexity of a topic nominal. Consider for instance the size of the topic nominal that is a literal paraphrastic transformation of the topic nominal "Everything." Apart from its size, its structure would be highly complex and it would take extreme technical perseverance to specify its derivation. Nevertheless, the example vividly illustrates the essential nature of all topicalization:

namely, that all topicalization is derivable through the specification of topic nominals and their fragmentation.

[10] Consider now the constituent structure of the topic nominals listed as 1 through 6. In (I), there are two constituents visible:

"Bask" which is recognized as an anchor concept (see Notes on Ethnosemantics), and "ing," which is recognized as a meta-topical element. Thus, the neological topic nominal "Basking" is made up, minimally and anchor concept intersected by a topic intersection operator. Diagramatically:

Basking Bask -ing
Minimal Topic Nominal(br)(1) = Anchor Concept + Topic Intersection Operator
(T.I.O.)

The structure of topic nominal (2) is given in the following diagram:

Topic Nominal
(2)		 = Minimal Topic Nominal + Topic Intersection Operator + Minimal Topic Complement
Basing in the air = Basking + in + the air

Note that the Topic Complement has the same structural format as the topic nominal, so that we have:

Nominal Topic Complement = Anchor Concept + Topic Intersection Operator The air air the

where "the" is a meta-topical element like "in" or "-ing." Consider now the structure of topic nominal (3):

Topic Nominal
(3)		 = Topic Nominal
(2)		 + Topic Intersection Operator
T.I.O.
"OF"		 + Topic Complement
(2)		 "delightful studies"

Consider now what is involved in the derivation of Topic Complement 2, "delightful studies," which is, of course, a topic nominal [cf: "Delightful studies are stimu1ating"].

Topic Nominal = Nominal Anchor Concept + Topic Intersection Operator
T.I.O.
"-ful"		 + Complement Anchor Concept
delightful studies delight studies

Note the last Anchor Concept "studies" can be also rendered as:

Minimal Topic Nominal = Anchor Concept + Topic Intersection Operator
T.I.O.
"-s"
studies study

Therefore, the full derivation of topic nominal (3) can be diagrammatized by the following operations:

(i)

Topic Nominal
(3)		 = Topic Nominal
2		 + Topic Intersection Operator
(T.I.O.)		 + Topic Complement
2
| | |
Basking in the air of delightful studies = Basking in the air + of + Delightful studies

(ii)

Topic Nominal
(2)		 = Topic Nominal
(1)		 + Topic Intersection Operator
(T.I.O.)		 + Minimal Topic Complement
1
| | |
Basking in the air = Basking + in + the air

(iii)

Topic Complement
(2)		 = Topic Nominal = Nominal anchor Concept + T.I.O. + Complement Anchor Concept
| |
delightful studies = delight + "-ful" + studies

(iv)

Minimal Topic Nominal
(1)		 = Anchor Concept + Topic Intersection Operator
(T.I.O.)
|
Basking = Bask + "-ing"

(v)

Minimal Topic Complement
(1)		 = Minimal Topic Nominal = Anchor Concept + Topic Intersection Operator
(T.I.O.)
|
the air = air + the

(vi)

Complement Anchor Concept = Nominal Anchor Concept = Anchor Concept + Topic Intersection Operator
(T.I.O.)
|
studies = study + "-s"

Thus, the above six steps give a complete derivation of the topic nominal "Basking in the air of delightful studies" by converting the topic nominal into its ethnosemantic constituent structures.

A list of the constituents derived from topical nominal (6) would look like this:

Labeled Topical Elements
Anchor Concepts		 Meta-topical Elements
Topic Intersection Operators
Function Words Morphophonemic elements
Bask -ing
the
air of
delight -ful
stud(y) -ies
with
nothing on
my
mind and
plenty (in)
(my)
stomachs
(with)
heart content
(and)
work complete -ed
without
(the)
slight -est
tinge of
guilt or
anger (or)
resent -ment
[ 11]. Consider now what it would take to convert a topic nominal to an assertion or situated comment. Note the derivation of a situated title (e.g. the title of a particular book), which stands independently as a discourse unit, and is, thus, constitutively, a paragraph. A minimal paragraph, as defined earlier, is a situated argument, which is constituted of two comments linked by an argument operator. A comment was defined as a topic nominal linked to a topic complement through an assertion operator. It should consequently be possible to specify the derivation of any situated title into one argument operator, two comments, two assertion operators, its topic nominals and complements, topic intersection operators, and anchor concepts. Consider the title of the book "To Kill a Mocking Bird." As a situated title (as on the cover jacket), the display is contextualized visibly as a deictic topic nominal. Diagramatically, we first derive the situated argument:

Jacket Title Display = Comment
1		 + Argument Operator + Comment
2
| | | |
To Kill a Mocking Bird = Presenting the title of this book + which is + "To Kill a Mocking Bird"

The argument operator ("which is", or functional paraphrastic equivalent) and Comment 1 are setting feature contention points raised by the situational context as ratifiable by participants having dealings with the book. The notion of a situated title already includes the information (i.e. is specified in it) necessary to derive the contention points specified in its situated display. The resolution of these contention points by constructing the topic nominal in Comment 1 is a standardized procedure whose outcomes are related to each other functionally through the operation of paraphrastic transformation (e.g. "We are presenting here the title of this book" or "In this place, as it is wont, there appears the title of this book", etc.).

We next derive Comment 2 in the usual manner:

(i)

Comment
2		 = Topic Nominal + Assertion Operator + Topic Complement
| | | |
"To Kill a Mocking Bird" placed in quotes = In this slot + quotation marks + To Kill a Mocking Bird

(ii)

Topic Nominal
(2)		 = Topic Nominal
(1)		 + Assertion Operator + Topic Complement
1
| | | |
To Kill a Mocking Bird = Kill + to + A Mocking Bird

(iii)

Topic Nominal
(1)		 = Minimal Topic Nominal = Anchor Concept
|
|
Kill

(iv)

Topic Complement
(1)		 = Topic Nominal = Topic Nominal
(2)		 + Topic Intersection Operator + Topic Complement
(2)
| |
|
A Mocking Bird = Mocking + a + bird

(vi)

Topic Complement
(2)		 = Topic Nominal = Anchor Concept
|
Bird

To Chapter 2, Part 3: Display Repertoire

To Table of Contents: Volume One

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