An Analysis of One-Dimensional Adjectives from the Perspective of Lexical Semantic Typology

This paper examines the meanings and usages of one-dimensional spatial dimension adjectives in 13 languages using the theoretical framework and research methods of MLexT. Past studies have shown that ‘HIGH/LOW’, ‘DEEP/SHALLOW’, ‘FAR/NEAR’, and are different from ‘LONG/SHORT’, and they are not linear adjectives. Furthermore, ‘FAR/NEAR’ cannot be used to describe the shape of objects. Consequently, scholars rarely explore the associations between ‘HIGH/LOW’, ‘DEEP/SHALLOW’, ‘FAR/NEAR’, and ‘LONGSHORT’ in more detail. However, in specific use cases, they may intersect when describing one-dimensional point-to-point distances. Therefore, the author examines how ‘LONG/SHORT’, ‘HIGH/LOW’, ‘DEEP/SHALLOW’, and ‘FAR/NEAR’ are used, with a focus on the differences between those spatial dimension adjectives for one-dimensional space in basic meanings, which are highlighted in this paper. The objective of this study is to assist second language acquisition learners in accurately understanding the distinctions between spatial dimension adjectives as used and their native languages, thereby facilitating cross-linguistic language acquisition.