Project description
Keeping time without a clock or calendar
The relationship between concepts of time and number in human cognition is receiving increasing attention, but little is known about this in small-scale traditional societies speaking endangered languages. To fill this knowledge gap, the EU-funded TINCULT project will conduct a field-based investigation in three minority indigenous communities of Brazil. The languages of these communities have small number systems (less than five basic numerals). There are no metric (number-based) time measurement systems such as calendars or clocks. The findings of this project will not only increase our scientific understanding of time and number cognition, they will also be vital resources for indigenous education and language/culture revitalisation. The project will also improve understandings of human-environment relations in traditional societies.
Objective
This project investigates the relationship between time and number in human cognition, focusing on how this relationship is culturally and linguistically configured. This area remains under-researched in traditional societies speaking endangered languages. The experienced researcher will carry out a field-based investigation in three indigenous minority communities of Brazil. The languages of these communities have small number systems with less than five basic numerals, have no metric time systems in which time is quantified as clock or calendar time, and use exclusively event-based time intervals, in which the time interval is indexed to an event or activity. The cognitive domains of time and number both manifest cross-cultural and cross-linguistic differences and their spatialisation in thought, language and familiar cultural artefacts is a key topic in cognitive science. Cultural artefacts for time reckoning (e.g. calendars, clocks) are numerically as well as spatially organised. The project will look at the role of number in event-based time reckoning, analysing it not only in language but also in gestural communication. Speakers do not use spatial metaphors for past and future – instead, they use embodied psychological metaphors such as REMEMBERING IS SEEING. This suggests that the linguistic spatialisation of time is a consequence of cultural practices and artefacts. The project combines methods employing linguistic and non-linguistic experimental tasks, gesture analysis and ethnographic observation. As well as being highly innovative in its scientific impact in the interdisciplinary field of language, cognition and culture, it will generate information to be used in indigenous education and language/culture revitalisation and is important for understanding human-environment relations in traditional non-Western societies. The project findings will be communicated through scientific articles, and to wider audiences through the production of a documentary.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
5020 Bergen
Norway
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.