Cognitive Reserve and Its Effect in Older Adults on Retrieval of Proper Names, Logo Names and Common Nouns

Previous studies showed that high Cognitive Reserve (CR, years of education and experience and knowledge acquired in life) is correlated with language proficiency as measured with vocabulary size, verbal analogy, and semantic processing. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between CR and the ability in retrieving different categories of words: Proper Names, Logo Names, and Common Nouns. The hypothesis is that CR contributes more in retrieving Common Nouns and Logo Names which are highly semantically interconnected, than retrieving Proper Names which are pure referring expressions. Forty-six Italian healthy older adults underwent the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and their performances spanned from low to high global cognitive profile. They were also administered a picture naming task for Proper Names, Logo Names and Common Nouns. Latency and Accuracy were recorded. CR was measured with the Cognitive Reserve Index (CRI) questionnaire which provides a measure of education, working time activities, and leisure time activities. Participants were significantly faster and more accurate in name retrieval when CR was high. CRI and MoCA as interaction terms predicted naming Latency with a stronger effect of CRI when the global cognitive profile was in the low range. The effect of CRI on Accuracy was lower for Proper Names than for Common Nouns and Logo Names, which did not differ from each other. Our results show that name retrieval Accuracy can be predicted by CR, significantly more in the case of Logo Names and Common Nouns than in the case of Proper Names. As Proper Names have scarce semantic interconnections and are arbitrarily assigned to unique individuals, they are not much influenced by CR. Although Logo Names are also arbitrarily assigned to their bearers, they can be conceptually categorized and thus influenced by reserve. The weak relationship between Proper Names and CR might suggest a proper name task as a useful tool to detect early signs of dementia, in particular for persons with high CR

Proper names in the light of theoretical onomastics

A proper name is a vocabulary element of a particular language which also belongs to a respective onymic subsystem, thereby acquiring a binary character. Proper names are formed (as a secondary plan of a language) with the background of appellative vocabulary. However, in their formation and use in communication, not only are the rules of the appellative language code applied but also the rules specific to proper names. Two opposing but interrelated tendencies are typical of the position of proper names – a continuous interaction of proper names with other vocabulary and the whole language system and, simultaneously, a continuous polarisation of the category of proper names in relation to appellatives. The interaction of proper names with other vocabulary relates to the ongoing processes of onymisation (appellative % proprium) and apellativisation (proprium % appellative) with the openness of onymy (the social, historical, cultural as well as the political dimensions of proper names present a wide range of possibilities for, e. g. the adoption of exonyms) but, above all, it relates to the social needs of ordinary communication. The polarisation of proper names in relation to appellatives is, hence, conditioned by the special character of onymic nomination. From this binary interrelationship of proper names follows the binary status of the category nomen proprium, i. e. linguistic status and onomastic status. In the analysis of proper names and from the methodological standpoint in onomastics, I consider this to be fundamental. That is why, after the older characterisation of onomastics, I have extended the definition of the linguistic status of proper names as defined by Kuryłowicz (La position linguistique du nom propre, 1956) to linguistic and onomastic status (Blanár 1976, 1977 ). These terms will be discussed later

Die namenkunde des deutschen im interkulturellen aspekt

Стаття присвячена особливостям утворення й функціонування імен власних у німецькій мові. Вказується на динаміку та соціальну зумовленість появи та розвитку німецьких імен. Дослідження виконано в аспекті міжкультурної комунікації, що поєднує поняття мови та культури. Вказано також на структурні особливості (категорії), за якими відрізняються різні культури. Однією з таких відмінностей є, на переконання автора, імена власні. (The article is devoted to the problem of intercultural communication which is one of the most vital issues of the contemporary linguistics. It is the interaction of language and culture in the measures of which there is an attempt to mutual understanding not only between different nations but also cultures. Intercultural communication accentuates the meaning of culture for communication. The partners’ understanding of and readiness for cultural differences are important for the successful communication between individuals and groups of people. Cross-cultural understanding is an unavoidable process nowadays. All the spheres (political, economic, social, cultural, etc.) of the modern society undergo changes leading to the increase of information about other cultures, the large amount of which is laid in proper names which are the object of our paper. The researches of such a kind are known to deal with the problems of lexicology and phraseology in particular. The analysis of separate classifications of German phraseology doesn’t constitute the aim of the work as this problem is well-considered in national and foreign lexicography. The purpose of our paper is to pay attention to those proper names which may both function separately expressing their own meaning and be a part of phraseological units. The lexical composition of a German name is heterogeneous, and the name itself is an identification feature. The names of German (Germanic) origin are, in most cases, of two components and the large majority of them are of everyday language. The names belonging to the ancient vocabulary are most productive for the formation of terms and phraseological units. Proper names are also parts of various kinds of phraseology: proverbs, sayings, aphorisms, idioms, etc. The results of our research show that proper names are an essential part of the vocabulary in general. This fact allows carrying out a comparative analysis of their functioning in various languages and cultures; revealing their differences and similarities; contributing to cross-cultural understanding.

Pemakaian istilah bahasa Sansekerta pada nama diri di dalam prasasti Poh (827 Çaka): tinjauan perspektif identitas

Proper names in general use as the individual differentiator within the community as well as the identity. Parent in giving name on their newly born baby is often based on some motivation. Proper names can be analyzed linguistically because it contains elements of the sign that serves referential as well as vocative. The proper names is a part of the human being itself, so that in every interaction within society, someone always conscious of his own identity for his own interests, the other person and society as his place of life and interaction. Diachronically the development of language, including the use of the name itself can be traced back its presence through written inscriptions in the form of inscriptions. The writing of the proper name in Poh inscription is explicitly only as a list of attendees (witnesses) who attended the inauguration ceremony. Starting from this point can be found the use of the name of the old Javanese period. This study aims to understand the construction and meaning in the proper name found in the Poh Inscription using an identity perspective. The method used in this study is descriptive qualitative which begins with observing and analyzing proper names using Sanskrit language elements

Cognitive Reserve and Its Effect in Older Adults on Retrieval of Proper Names, Logo Names and Common Nouns

Previous studies showed that high Cognitive Reserve (CR, years of education and experience and knowledge acquired in life) is correlated with language proficiency as measured with vocabulary size, verbal analogy, and semantic processing. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between CR and the ability in retrieving different categories of words: Proper Names, Logo Names, and Common Nouns. The hypothesis is that CR contributes more in retrieving Common Nouns and Logo Names which are highly semantically interconnected, than retrieving Proper Names which are pure referring expressions. Forty-six Italian healthy older adults underwent the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and their performances spanned from low to high global cognitive profile. They were also administered a picture naming task for Proper Names, Logo Names and Common Nouns. Latency and Accuracy were recorded. CR was measured with the Cognitive Reserve Index (CRI) questionnaire which provides a measure of education, working time activities, and leisure time activities. Participants were significantly faster and more accurate in name retrieval when CR was high. CRI and MoCA as interaction terms predicted naming Latency with a stronger effect of CRI when the global cognitive profile was in the low range. The effect of CRI on Accuracy was lower for Proper Names than for Common Nouns and Logo Names, which did not differ from each other. Our results show that name retrieval Accuracy can be predicted by CR, significantly more in the case of Logo Names and Common Nouns than in the case of Proper Names. As Proper Names have scarce semantic interconnections and are arbitrarily assigned to unique individuals, they are not much influenced by CR. Although Logo Names are also arbitrarily assigned to their bearers, they can be conceptually categorized and thus influenced by reserve. The weak relationship between Proper Names and CR might suggest a proper name task as a useful tool to detect early signs of dementia, in particular for persons with high CR

THE REFERENTIAL POTENTIAL OF NOUN GROUPS FORMED BY THE BULGARIAN INDEFINITE PRONOUNS AND THE PROPER NAME

The article explores the referential potential of noun groups formed by the Bulgarian indefinite pronouns някой/някакъв (си) and the proper name. The study is based on authentic linguistic data from Bulgarian National Corpus and partly from other internet- sources. The linguistic data classified according to E. V. Paducheva’s classification of reference classes of noun groups. The referential approach allows all possible uses of noun groups to be described. There are only isolated observations on combinations of indefinite pronouns with proper names, which can be supplemented and reinterpreted according to specific research tasks. We are interested in the ability of indefinite pronouns to combine with different components of the meaning of the proper names. We show that: 1) the compatibility of a proper name with indicators of indeterminacy is not a rare or isolated case, but a systemic functioning; 2) the referential variation of the noun groups някой/някакъв (си) + proper name is due to the complex interaction between the semantics of indefinite pronouns and the proper name, which involves the denotative and significative components of the name’s semantics; 3) the proper names in combination with някой/някакъв (си) cover a wide spectrum of variability, revealing a predisposition to both referential and non-referential, as well as to predicate uses. In combination with indeterminatives, a proper name can realise its main functions as a linguistic sign: a) to act as a ‘code’ for an object; b) to identify an object; c) to characterise an object. We discuss ways of solving homonymy of different types of referential uses. Refs 22

REFERENCES OF PROPER NAMES AS THE PROBLEM OF CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE

This article investigates the idea that meanings of proper names are their references which is popular in the philosophy of language. The aim is to show, first, that there is no satisfactory answer to the question “How references as stable relations between words and objects appear, due to accomplishment of what conditions these properties of linguistic expressions may be produced?”, and, second, that we can still use the notion of reference in our explanations of some effects of communication if we treat reference as pragmatic rather than semantic phenomenon. The actuality of this research is provided by the fact that the identification of meanings of certain types of terms, proper names first of all, with their references is still very influential account in the philosophy of language. The author uses the methods of historical exposition and philosophical analysis of the main theories of reference, such as theory of descriptions and causal theory of reference. It is shown that these theories in their different modifications fail to explain how references as semantic relations between proper names and their bearers may be produced in the course of communication and social interaction. But although there are alternative concepts of the nature meanings of proper names it is concluded that we still may apply the notion of reference in our explanations of natural language communication if we treat reference as pragmatic effect caused by mutual coordination of actions achieved by the participants of certain communicative situation

Precedent Names of Historical Figures and Realities in Polycode Video Texts of Russian and French Political Advertising: Communicative and Pragmatic Aspect

The article is devoted to precedent proper names in the composition of political promotional videos / video texts that have a polycode and dynamic character. The study is based on video texts of political advertising distributed during the presidential elections in France in 2017 and in Russia in 2018. The results of the comparative analysis of communicative strategies and tactics involving French and Russian precedent names from the conceptual category “Historical figures and realities” in the broadcast of political messages are presented. Particular attention is paid to the specifics of the interaction of precedent proper names with nonverbal context. The role of the case-signs in the realization of the impact of communicative functions and the transfer of current political meanings in policode advertising works are clarified. As a result of comparative observations, some trends in the use of case names in political videos of two countries are revealed. It is established that the precedent names of historical figures and realities in Russian video texts are characterized by a greater variety than similar language units in French video clips. It is noted that the considered precedent names in French videos serve exclusively for the implementation of the communicative strategy of self-presentation, while in Russian video clips precedent signs are used in the framework of strategies of self-presentation and discredit

Searching the Traces of Middle Low German in Latvian Proper Names

The great impact of Middle Low German on the Latvian language during the 13–16th century is a well-known and rather widely researched fact. However, the main focus of linguists' attention has so far been on the apellative vocabulary. This article therefore aims to highlight the traces of Middle Low German on Latvian proper names – placenames and personal names (both first names and surnames) – during the time of their appearance and also nowadays (also touching upon the issue of onyms that have disappeared during previous centuries). The system of Latvian personal names (as the ancient Baltic two-stem personal names gradually disappeared during the 13–14th century), was largely built on the basis of Christian names in their Middle Low German versions. Among these Latvian names, borrowed from Middle Low German and still in use in the 21st century, we can note Ģederts, Indriķis, Jurģis, Tenis, Ints, Inta etc. In the context of placenames, one must take into account the historical diglossia that lasted until the 1st half of the 20th century. Between the German (initially Middle Low German) and Latvian names of cities, villages and manors there has been a diverse and manifold interaction. Meanwhile, in the names of farmhouses which were mostly coined in Latvian, one can observe many onymized borrowings from Middle Low German. The oldest Latvian surnames used in Riga during the 15–16th century can sometimes be (and are) interpreted as the first documentally attested instances of some Middle Low German borrowings in the Latvian language. Among the main conclusions of this article, one can point out the fact that most Middle Low German elements have entered Latvian proper names indirectly, through borrowed common nouns. Moreover, it is essential to continue the research (especially in the field of surnames) and to reevaluate the impact of Middle Low German borrowings in the Latvian language

A Table of Third and Fourth Order Feynman Diagrams of the Interacting Fermion Green's Function

The Feynman diagrams of the Green's function expansion of fermions interacting with a non-relativistic 2-body interaction are displayed in first, second and third order of the interaction as 2, 10 and 74 diagrams, respectively. A name convention for the diagrams is proposed and then used to tabulate the 706 diagrams of fourth order. The Hartree-Fock approximation summons up 2, 8, 40 and 224 of them, respectively.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, 16 tables. Index typo in Sect III corrected. More lines in Table XV. Three more references. Expanded Summar