Cognitive Arguments for a Fuzzy Construction Grammar

Following Desagulier (2005), I assume that it is by studying intermediate forms that we can gain a better understanding of creativity and innovation, from both a linguistic and a cognitive perspective. My case studies tend to show that form/function reshuffling is best understood as a grammatical blend, for which I offer a new definition, based on a critical examination of works by Fauconnier and Turner (1996, 1998, 2002) and Fauconnier (1997). Constructional integration networks, which are the keystone of my model, hinge on the following principle: a construction that is cognitively salient provides can serve as the basis for the structuring of speakers’ mental grammars. This stable symbolic unit can thus (i) be retrieved wholly or partially to provide a template for the composition of new constructions (ii) help speakers/hearers gain access to more complex pairings. Especially revealing in this regard is the fuzziness attached to the genitive of measure (Det1 Det2 NP1 measure ’S NP2 uncount) exemplified below: