COGNITIVE-SEMANTIC LINGUISTICS: THE MAPPING OF MEANING BY THE MIND AND EXPERIENCE

This article explores Cognitive-Semantic Linguistics, a subfield of cognitive linguistics that emphasizes the intrinsic connection between language, thought, and human experience. Rejecting the classical view of semantics as a direct mapping of language onto objective reality, this paradigm argues that meaning is shaped by cognition, embodiment, and cultural interaction. Key theoretical foundations include Conceptual Metaphor Theory, Image Schemas, Frame Semantics, and Mental Spaces, all of which illustrate how language reflects and structures human conceptualization. The article further discusses Cognitive Grammar, highlighting how grammar itself carries semantic weight, and explores the cross-cultural dimensions of metaphor and meaning. Practical applications span language education, political discourse analysis, artificial intelligence, and literary interpretation. While the approach faces critiques for its reliance on introspection and lack of formalization, it remains a powerful interdisciplinary framework for understanding how language functions as a mirror of the mind and a product of embodied, culturally situated experience.