Polisemy of the zoonymous perro and gato: antithetical meanings

Abstract

Drawing from Cognitive Grammar Theory, this work analyzes the polisemy and the semantic productivity of the lexical items perro and gato, whose semantic extension comes from metaphorical projections and situations conceptualized that gives place to a semantic associations.The study demonstrates that given that dogs and cats are the domestic animals par excellence, the meaning of their respective zoonymous are re-lated. Also, these domestics animals are conceptualized as being antagonic beings. Thus, the semantic association net of perro and gato becomes to be antithetics.