Conceptualisations of landscape differ across European languages

Area of Science:

• Cross-cultural psychology
• Cognitive linguistics
• Environmental science

Background:

• Sustainable landscape management policies often assume a universal understanding of "landscape."
• This assumption overlooks potential cultural and linguistic variations in conceptualizing landscapes.
• Understanding these variations is crucial for effective policy implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the conceptual structure of "landscape" across different European languages.
• To test the assumption of conceptual homogeneity in the notion of landscape.
• To identify linguistic and cultural differences in landscape conceptualization.

Main Methods:

• Collected free-association data on "landscape," "animals," and "body parts" from speakers of seven European languages.
• Analyzed the number of exemplars, shared exemplars, and co-occurrence patterns.
• Examined semantic network structures and conceptual salience across languages.

Main Results:

• Participants found listing "landscape" terms most difficult, with fewest exemplars and shared concepts compared to "animals" and "body parts."
• Significant cross-linguistic differences were observed in salient landscape exemplars and their semantic connections.
• The concept of "landscape" demonstrated weaker cognitive structuring and higher variability than other domains.

Conclusions:

• The notion of "landscape" is not universally homogenous but exhibits significant intra- and inter-linguistic diversity.
• Sustainable landscape policies require adaptation to local conceptualizations for successful implementation.
• Recognizing diverse cultural viewpoints is essential for inclusive and effective landscape management.