摘要：This paper aims to describe how spatial semantic categories of containment and support are expressed in three languages, – Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian, – which are spoken in the same area, though only the first two of them are genealogically related. Our research is based on a production task (n = 60 for each language) consisting of answers to picture stimuli representing major subtypes of containment and support : full containment, partial containment and interlocking for containment and support-from-below, adhesion, hanging and encirclement with contact for support . The results show that the core types of containment and support , namely, full-containment and support-from-below, are expressed most homogenously and using least terms in all three languages, but other sub-types trigger more variety. Cross-linguistically, containment is expressed similarly in the Baltic languages, but in terms of conceptualization and expression of support , Latvian and Estonian share more commonalities. This provides new evidence for semantic diversity of the Baltic languages and language-contact induced peculiarities of Latvian.
其他摘要：This paper aims to describe how spatial semantic categories of containment and support are expressed in three languages, – Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian, – which are spoken in the same area, though only the first two of them are genealogically related. Our research is based on a production task (n = 60 for each language) consisting of answers to picture stimuli representing major subtypes of containment and support : full containment, partial containment and interlocking for containment and support-from-below, adhesion, hanging and encirclement with contact for support . The results show that the core types of containment and support , namely, full-containment and support-from-below, are expressed most homogenously and using least terms in all three languages, but other sub-types trigger more variety. Cross-linguistically, containment is expressed similarly in the Baltic languages, but in terms of conceptualization and expression of support , Latvian and Estonian share more commonalities. This provides new evidence for semantic diversity of the Baltic languages and language-contact induced peculiarities of Latvian.
