Semantička organizacija delova kuće prema srpskim i američkim ispitanicima

Abstract

This paper compares the survey data obtained from native speakers of Serbian in Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia, and native speakers of (American) English in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The objective of the survey was twofold: (1) to provide insights into the internal structure of the house parts category, and (2) to determine what types of entities are generally classified into this category. The internal category structure was measured by the frequency and order with which the category members were named by the subjects in response to the category name. The study shows that the category is generally considered to include not only parts of the building itself, but also a large variety of household items it may contain, as well as surface/spatial entities found on a property area outside it. However, segmental parts of the building, seen either in terms of spaces or in terms of the structural elements that define those spaces, are regarded by both Serbian and American subjects as the best examples of the category.