“Keep it in mind – speak one’s mind – don’t mind if I do”: A Cognitive Linguistics analysis of “mind” polysemy

The title “Keep it in mind – speak one’s mind – don’t mind if I do” is an appropriate example of how the word ‘mind’ can be used as a noun – thoughts, memory or opinion, sentiment– and a verb –to accept an invitation. ‘Mind’ is uncommonly concrete and abstract at the same time. Mind as “in mind” clearly refers to the container image schema, which suggests there is a in and out position in relation to it. One’s mind refers to the opinion or sentiment that a person expresses. Both cases refer to aspects of thoughts and memory. Whereas, the verb in “don’t mind if I do” creates the meiotic expression attested from 1847, which relies on our accessing the meaning “to care, feel concern, or object”. This meaning is listed as the thirty-third meaning out of forty-one in dictionary.com. The many meanings work through both conventional and creative metaphors. This research proposes to analyze the use of “mind” in natural language and to investigate the polysemic nature of the lexeme. It addresses how the complex interplay of variables dynamically interact with the context as the meanings emerge in more or less predictable ways.