Iberian Spanish “macho”: vantages and polysemy in culturally defined meaning

This study explores some specific aspects of compatibility between cognitive models. Robert E. MacLaury’s theory of vantages as arrangements of coordinates and Lakoff’s concept of radial categories are mutually reinforcing to an analysis of semantic polysemy. Vantage Theory (VT) includes the notions of zooming in and zooming out, allowing focused and broad points of view to be constructed in reference to a figure and ground. Zooming in and out are some of the mechanisms of Lakoff’s increments of polysemous extension. Also helpful is Langacker’s usage-based model of a hierarchical semantic network. Expanding the VT model in this way enables interpretation of a complex lexical meaning as multiple perspectives on one concept, the Iberian macho.In addition to polysemy, we will look at the relation between vantages and prototypes and consider the contribution of one’s personal background and viewpoint to semantic networks.