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The genesis of basic colors provides hints to better understand the genesis of spatial terms. The two modes of internal lexical formation (by division and by union) inside the language system can be opposed to external lexical formation that attaches words directly to extra-linguistic notions of utmost importance in the linguistic community. After discussing the analysis of Levinson and Meira on genesis of spatial terms, I present my own views on this issue. According to this proposition, the dichotomy between CONTROL (a general dynamic notion) and LOC (a general topological notion of localization) constitutes the first step in the genesis of spatial adpositions. As illustrated by the preposition of Old English œt, this part of the system (LOC) evolves essentially by internal lexical formation by division. As far as the dynamic spatial system is concerned (CONTROL), different levels of specification may be observed in different languages and this suggests a mechanism of external lexical formation. Three modes of development of words are highlighted in the following section, two of which —beginning in the middle or in the bottom level of the hierarchy of words and concepts— are clearly related to external lexical formation. In the last section of the paper, I investigate how the acquisition of language might help to provide clues about the development of spatial terms.

DOI: 10.4000/corela.5013

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