“commitment” in American marriage: a cultural analysis

Abstract

On the basis of syntax, metaphorical usages, formulaic language, and the senses of utterances, it is argued that American interviewees use the key word “commitment” in the context of marriage both in a general, superordinate sense and in three subordinate polysemous senses, of PROMISE, DEDICATION, and ATTACHMENT. These three polysemous senses are related in a culturally shared scenario for American marriage—the story of the speech act that initiates it, and the entailments of this act: a state of intentionality, and an emotional relationship to another person. [American marriage, knowledge structures, scenario word, polysemy, cultural knowledge, goals]