THE SEMANTICS OF TRÊN - DƯỚI (UPPER-LOWER) AND THEIR QUIVALENTS IN ENGLISH

Abstract

Spatial words exist in any natural language; however, the spatial cognition, the process of conceptualizing and encoding spatial relations varies across linguistic communities. This article describes and compares the semantic features of TRÊN - DƯỚI in Vietnamese with their equivalent expressions in English. Based on the findings, specific features and trends in conceptualizing and encoding spatial relations in the Vietnamese language and the English language are identified.