Analysis of Semantic Categories in Turkish According to Prototype Theory

• Published in: Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi Dergisi Vol. 52; no. 2
• Main Authors: Seda GÖKMEN, Özay ÖNAL
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ankara University 01.01.2017
• Subjects: Aile Benzeşmesi; Biliş; Bilişsel Anlambilim; Ruhdilbilim; Temel Düzey; Ulam; Ulamlaştırma; Ön-tür
• ISSN: 2459-0150

Rosch’s prototype theory is a cognition-based categorization theory which was born as a reaction to Aristotelian view of categorization which has been acknowledged for centuries. Contrary to the Aristotelian view, Rosch claimed that internal structure of a category is not homogeneous, i.e. it has a prototype, good and bad members. Category boundaries are not clear cut and they have transition zones which means that the category is always open to new members. There are a typical member named as prototype in the center and other peripheral members ranking in a hierarchical order, steadily having less representative attributes. Prototypes have some privileges; they are the cognitive reference points, they are easily retrieved and they belong to the basic level category, which children learn first while acquiring their mother tongue. In the experimental part of the research, a group of 210 subjects formed by children, teenagers and adults have been asked for to write down seven typical examples under 22 concrete and abstract category names. The results, within the scope of the research, showed that, the semantic categories in Turkish are formed around prototypes. However, some differences between abstract and concrete categories have been detected.