An Introduction to Cognitive Linguistics

An Introduction to Cognitive Linguistics carefully explains the central concepts of categoriza­tion, of prototype and gestalt perception, of basic level and conceptual hierarchies, of figure and ground, and of metaphor and metonymy, for which an innovative description is provided. It also brings together issues such as iconicity, lexical change, grammaticalization and language teaching that have profited considerably from being put on a cognitive basis.

Friedrich Ungerer is Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Rostock, Germany, but also has a background in applied linguistics and language teaching.
Hans-Jörg Schmid is Professor of Modern English Linguistics at the University of Munich, where he is currently initiating the foundation of an Interdisciplinary Centre for Cognitive Language Studies.
Both authors have published extensively in the field.