Meaning in mind and society

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Meaning is both embodied and social. For Cognitive Linguistics to be a comprehensive theory of language in use, it must encompass everything from grounded cognition to discourse struggles. This work illustrates how Cognitive Linguistics dismantled the barrier between language and human experiential content. Key concepts such as frame semantics, embodiment, conceptual construal, figure-ground organization, metaphorical mapping, and mental spaces emerged from this breakthrough, adding a vital human dimension to cognitive science. A new phase arose as Cognitive Linguistics aligned with the broader 'usage-based' linguistics movement, merging mind and discourse. This shift enriched the previously dominant conceptual dimension with a focus on 'use', fulfilling the experiential commitment of the field. The emphasis on 'meaning construction', initiated by blending theory, highlights emergent effects over static mappings. Moreover, integrating an evolutionary perspective connects individual and population features of language. The resulting empirical demands have led to increased focus on corpus and experimental methods, particularly in sociolinguistics and language acquisition. The book outlines this evolution and addresses the foundational challenges it poses for Cognitive Linguistics, advocating for a synthesis that accommodates everything from bodily grounding to deconstructible floating signifiers, offering a cohesive framework th