From words-as-mappings to words-as-cues: the role of language in semantic knowledge

Abstract

ABSTRACT Semantic knowledge (or semantic memory) is knowledge we have about the world. For example, we know that knives are typically sharp, made of metal, and that they are tools used for cutting. To what kinds of experiences do we owe such knowledge? Most work has stressed the role of direct sensory and motor experiences. Another kind of experience, considerably less well understood, is our experience with language. We review two ways of thinking about the relationship between language and semantic knowledge: (i) language as mapping onto independently-acquired concepts, and (ii) language as a set of cues to meaning. We highlight some problems with the words-as-mappings view, and argue in favour of the words-as-cues alternative. We then review some surprising ways that language impacts semantic knowledge, and discuss how distributional semantics models can help us better understand its role. We argue that language has an abstracting effect on knowledge, helping to go beyond concrete experiences which are more characteristic of perception and action. We conclude by describing several promising directions for future research.