Semantic Distinctions in Cognitive Verb-Preposition Combinations: A Corpus-Based Analysis of Of and About

Abstract

The current paper explores the semantic distinctions of cognitive verbs followed by the prepositions of and about through corpus methods, framed within Construal theory, backgrounded in Cognitive Grammar (Langacker, 1986). Construal theory suggests that meaning is shaped by how speakers conceptualize the world around them. The study examines how these verb-preposition combinations reflect different conceptualizations, where verb+ of encodes a more limited partitive construal meaning, while verb+ about signals broader and more holistic construal meanings. The analysis demonstrates that of is used for selective and abstract meanings (recalling and imagining ideas), whereas about implies a closer and more concrete involvement in a given situation. Through using frequency, dispersion, distributional, and collocation measures, the findings demonstrate that of and about systematically alter verb semantics, confirming the construal framework. Differences in frequency of use appear clearly in COCA and BNC, which might be due to regional preferences. Dispersion analysis shows think of/about are more common in spoken English. Know about is more frequent than know of, especially in spoken discourse. Genre analysis reveals different usage patterns in fiction, TV, and blog genres, expressing imaginative situations, feelings, and ideas. The study underscores the interplay between prepositional semantics and usage in context, offering insights for lexicography and theoretical semantics of verb-preposition interaction.