Cognitive mechanisms in Chinese and English diagonal direction compounds encoding order

Abstract The absolute frame of reference determines a fixed encoding order for cardinal direction compounds formed by pairing east, west, north, and south. However, the encoding order for diagonal direction compounds — based on an internal frame of reference — varies due to the competitive dynamics between structural pattern differentiation in horizontal and vertical directions. The dominant contender assumes the preceding position if its differentiation or stability is significantly greater than that of its competitor. This tug-of-war is influenced by language- specific cognitive styles: the figure-preference cognitive style in English, rooted in egocentric philosophy, and the ground-preference cognitive style in Chinese, based on object-centered philosophy. This distinction typically results in a reversed encoding order between Chinese diagonal directions and their English counterparts, with a minor proportion showing similar encoding orders.