Distinguishing near-synonyms based on Frame Semantics: Are you a careful driver/a cautious driver?

초록

This study investigates the semantic distinction between the English near-synonyms careful and cautious using Frame Semantics and corpus-based analysis. While often treated as interchangeable in dictionaries, these adjectives exhibit distinct syntactic distributions and collocations in actual usage. This research proposes a “Prevention of Harm” super-frame, within which the two words activate contrasting sub-frames based on the locus of risk. Careful evokes an Internal Vigilance Frame, focusing on self-monitoring and micro-level control to prevent personal errors during performance. Conversely, cautious activates an External Vigilance Frame, emphasizing risk assessment and strategic hesitation in response to environmental uncertainty. Analysis of three key constructions (to V, about V-ing, and in V-ing) further shows that the choice between these synonyms is systematically motivated by whether risk is construed as internal or external to the agent, with implications for EFL/ESL pedagogy, usage-based lexicography, and natural language processing.

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