Accumulated Memory and Language: A Cognitive Science Perspective

Abstract

Memories are formed through several stages and involve various neurological, psychological and cognitive dimensions. An experience, if consolidated and sorted in memory, may contain acoustic, visual, tactile and semantic information. Memories, however, are only partial re-creations of past experiences, as they are indeterminate and prone to change. This issue is considerably important from a linguistic perspective. If memories are considered to be “references” that could be expressed in terms of linguistic content, they may refer to individual perceptions and thus lead to uncertainty of meaning and to conflict. The purpose of this study is to propose a notion called “accumulated memory” to refer to the temporal, corrective and developmental aspect of human memory. Viewing memory as a progressively cumulative entity can help explain how personal experience could lead to the formation of linguistically elaborate layers of meaning. In doing so, the study relies on some conceptions from cognitive science and linguistics, as well as empirical findings from memory studies.

Keywords: lived experience, cognitive linguistics, prototype, conceptual blending, reference, memory