Cognitive aspect of concept strangeness in English

Abstract

In summary, the concept strangeness is, at its core, the condition of not knowing or not recognizing something. It is understood through the schema of RELATION and can be manifested along the two axes of categorization and distance in time and space. Since categorization is such a fundamental part of human cognition, entities that do not fit within their expected or agreed upon categories are conceptualized as strange. Distance in time and space is the other key semantic component of strangeness, it contributes to the sense of strangeness since the object becomes unknown or unrecognizable.