In search for the motivation of markedness through metaphorical processes. Chains and matrices with a reasonable degree of universality

Abstract

After Greenberg’s studies on implicational universals, dealing with universals of language is dealing with markedness. Interestingly enough, (un-)marked linguistic forms can show their motivation if examined at the conceptual level. On the Cognitive Linguistics ground, Metaphor Theory and Image Schemas are here employed to search for that motivation (if any), and to verify if semantics could be behind forms traditionally considered a mere fact of grammar.