Spatial Particles in English: A Quantitative Corpus-Based Approach to the Conceptualization of Symmetry in Bodily Orientation

This study investigates the conceptualization of our bodily orientation in a quantitative corpus-based approach of collostructional analysis. Based on the symbolic nature of constructions, we examine the correlation patterns of the covarying collexeme NPs and 13 major spatial particles in English Preposition Construction through exploratory statistical methods. The distributional patterns of the spatial particles have far-reaching implications for the embodiment of conceptual metaphors. It is concluded that the (a)symmetry of metaphorical patterns along each spatial dimension may be attributed to the recurring (a)symmetrical daily interaction and bodily experiences with the surrounding physical environment. While cultural specificity is of great concern for future study, a hypothesis for the implicational scale of conceptual symmetry in bodily orientation is proposed.