Dimensions in the conceptual integration of jokes: or how a dissertation got lost in generic space

Abstract

Conceptual Integration addresses the dynamicity of language as an interactive and situated phenomenon. This theory accounts for the productivity of new emergent structures in language. Taking into account that jokes are a prototypical discursive form which can be easily be differentiated intuitively, it is stated that jokes have not been properly differentiated from other linguistic structures, in the sense that their funny element has not been profiled in Blending Theory. This dissertation proposes a new conceptual schema in order to provide a novel model which includes funniness in jokes. Henceforth, this work hypothesizes the presence of a second generic space in jokes, which categorizes a non-entrenched feature which works as the basis of the humorous quality of jokes. In the attempt to properly test this novel schema, 30 jokes were analyzed following Conceptual Blending theory, with the addition of the new generic space. After the specific analysis of each joke, the success of the schema was measured with quantitative analysis. The results showed that for all the jokes from the sample presented a proposed Ad hoc Generic Space and a Conceptual one, that seem to support the hypothesis of its duality. Furthermore, a Blended Space was achieved via mappings of inputs for every joke and non-humorous blends using the same inputs could be constructed only for the jokes labelled as verbal.