lisensoimaton

Lisensoimaton is a theoretical construct in cognitive linguistics that describes an integrated mental representation linking linguistic content with sensorimotor experience. Proponents argue that this unit supports rapid interpretation of sentences by forming a single perceptual schema that merges meaning with action and perception.

The term is a coined neologism with no universally accepted etymology. In the literature it is described as a portmanteau-style construct assembled from components related to sensing, language, and montage of perceptual inputs, but different authors offer varying etymological explanations.

Core features include cross-modal integration, predictive activation of perceptual states during processing, and the ability to bind a sequence of linguistic cues to an embodied scene. Lisensoimaton is proposed as a continuum rather than a discrete module, interacting with working memory and attention.

Applications range from explaining processing differences across languages to informing models of embodied language learning and certain AI language systems. Critics note that empirical support is limited and that the concept risks conflating established ideas from embodied cognition with speculative units.

See also: embodied cognition, semantic frame theory, predictive coding. The concept remains debated, with calls for controlled experiments and cross-linguistic data to establish its scope and limitations.