Abstract:
This study is aimed to classify the senses of the three visual perception verbs in Thai, i.e., /m / look, /du/ watch , and /hen/ see, to analyze the semantic relations among them, and to compare the meaning extension among these three verbs. The framework for this study is Cognitive Semantics. It is found that /m / , /du/ , and /hen/ are polysemous words. /m / has 6 senses, i.e., (1) to direct the eye (2) to be unmindful (3) to pay attention (4) to follow up a situation (5) to consider and (6) to evaluate. /du/ has 10 senses, i.e., (1) to use ones sight (2) to read (3) to spectate (4) to take care (5) to follow up a situation (6) to consider (7) to evaluate (8) to make known (9) to assume and (10) to draw attention. /hen/ has 7 senses, i.e., (1) to perceive with the eye (2) to visualize (3) to be familiar with (4) to meet (5) to know (6) to believe and (7) to mark evidentiality. Direct visual perception is their basic sense. The other senses, extended from the basic sense are in the cognition domain or the domain of mental processes. All the senses are related to each other by 2 ways: (1) by similarity, e.g. to be unmindful sense of /m / shares most properties with the basic sense, except [intention], (2) by metonymy and metaphor. For examples, to see is tightly linked to to meet socially by metonymy, and to keep looking is transferred to to follow up a situation by metaphor. However, metonymy is the basis of many metaphorically extended meanings of /m /, /du/, and /hen/ . for example, the metaphorically extended meaning of /m / to to follow up a situation is motivated by the metonymic link between to keep looking and to physically follow someone or something.