Linguistic frame of reference is a

frame of reference In physics and astronomy, a frame of reference (or reference frame) is an abstract coordinate system whose origin, orientation, and scale are specified by a set of reference points― geometric points whose position is identified both math ...

as it is expressed in a language. A frame of reference is a coordinate system used to identify the physical location of an object. In languages, different frames of reference can be used. They are: the ''relative'' frame of reference, the ''intrinsic'' frame of reference, and the ''absolute'' frame of reference. Each frame of reference in a language can be associated with distinct linguistic expressions.

Classification of frames of reference

Intrinsic frame of reference

Intrinsic frame of reference is a binary spatial relation in which the location of an object is defined in relation to a part of another object (its side, back, front, etc.). For instance, "The cat is in front of the house" means that the cat is at that part of the house that is its front, the side of the house that faces the street and has an entrance and maybe a porch.

Absolute frame of reference

Absolute frame of reference is also a binary system in which the location of an object is defined in relation to arbitrary fixed bearings, such as

cardinal directions The four cardinal directions, or cardinal points, are the four main compass directions: north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials N, E, S, and W respectively. Relative to north, the directions east, south, and west are at ...

(North, South, East, West). For instance, “The cat is to the south of the house” has the location of the cat described independently of the position of the speaker or of any part of the house (as in intrinsic frame of reference). Apart from cardinal directions, fixed bearings such as seacoast, upriver/downriver, and uphill/downhill/across are also used.

Relative frame of reference

Relative frame of reference is a ternary system. The location of an object is expressed in relation to both the viewpoint of the perceiver and position of another object. Thus, “The cat is to the left of the house” refers to three points of reference: the cat, the house, and the perceiver himself.

Use of different frames of reference

People can use multiple frames of reference in communication. For instance, in English, all three frames of reference are available and used, but the use of absolute frame of reference is limited to topographic objects ("Finland is to the east of Sweden"). The preferred frame of reference is the relative one. Languages that rely largely on absolute frame of reference include many Australian aboriginal languages (for instance,

Arrernte language Arrernte or Aranda (; ) or sometimes referred to as Upper Arrernte (Upper Aranda), is a dialect cluster in the Arandic language group spoken in parts of the Northern Territory, Australia, by the Arrernte people. Other spelling variations a ...

, Guugu Yimithirr) and some

Mayan languages The Mayan languagesIn linguistics, it is conventional to use ''Mayan'' when referring to the languages, or an aspect of a language. In other academic fields, ''Maya'' is the preferred usage, serving as both a singular and plural noun, and as ...

(for instance, Tzeltal). In Guugu Yimithirr, there is no way to say "The cat is to the left of the house," and the only way to describe the location of the cat in relation to the house is "The cat is to the south of the house." Examples of languages that rely largely on intrinsic frame of reference, for instance, are Mopan (a Mayan language) or Totonac (a Totonacan language). The use of different frames of reference has a far-reaching effect on the cognition. For instance, to be able to communicate in a language with absolute frame of reference the speakers have to run a kind of a mental compass, a remarkable neurocognitive capacity allows speakers to identify cardinal directions, even in unfamiliar locations.

References

* *{{Cite journal, pmid=15301750, pages=108–114, year=2004, author1=Majid, first1=A, title=Can language restructure cognition? The case for space, journal=Trends in Cognitive Sciences, volume=8, issue=3, last2=Bowerman, first2=M, last3=Kita, first3=S, last4=Haun, first4=D. B., last5=Levinson, first5=S. C., doi=10.1016/j.tics.2004.01.003, hdl=2066/57358, url=http://www.cogsci.ucsd.edu/~rik/courses/cogs1_w10/readings/MajidLevinson04.pdf, hdl-access=free Cognitive linguistics