Honorary editor: René Dirven The series Applications of Cognitive Linguistics (ACL) welcomes
book proposals from any domain where the theoretical insights developed in Cognitive
Linguistics (CL) have been (or could be) fruitfully applied. In the past thirty-five years the
CL movement has articulated a rich and satisfying view of language around a small number of
foundational principles. The first one argues that language faculties do not constitute a
separate module of cognition but emerge as specialized uses of more general cognitive
abilities. The second principle emphasises the symbolic function of language. The grammar of
individual languages (including the lexicon morphology and syntax) can be exclusively
described as a structured inventory of conventionalized symbolic units. The third principle
states that meaning is equated with conceptualization. It is subjective anthropomorphic and
crucially incorporates humans' experience with their bodies and the world around them. Finally
CL's Usage-Based conception anchors the meaning of linguistic expressions in the rich soil of
their social usage. Consequently usage-related issues such as frequency and entrenchment
contribute to their semantic import. Taken together these principles provide researchers in
different academic fields with a powerful theoretical framework for the investigation of
linguistic issues in the specific context of their particular disciplines. The primary focus of
ACL is to serve as a high level forum for the result of these investigations. To discuss your
book idea or submit a proposal please contact Birgit Sievert.
