This paper analyzes the relationships between the various meanings of the word "tokoro" (a Japanese word often translated as "place," "spot," "scene," etc.) from the perspective of cognitive semantics, as well as the process of meaning extension from its basic sense to its derived senses, providing a comprehensive view of a word's semantic evolution. This perspective focuses on how language reflects and shapes our world understanding. The results are as follows: When observing the meanings of "tokoro," the various meanings that might seem unrelated at first glance share commonalities when viewed from geometric perspectives, such as three-dimensionality, flatness, linearity, and point-like properties. These shared characteristics form a single category, with each meaning existing as a member of that category.
The central meaning of "tokoro" is that of "space," all of its derived meanings extend from this central meaning based on the properties of space, such as its three-dimensionality, flatness, linearity, and point-like nature. Specifically, derived meanings such as "object/body," "organization/group," and "source of information" are based on the three-dimensionality of space; the meaning of "situation" is based on the flatness of space; "temporal scope" is based on its linearity; and meanings such as "part," "position," "stage," "degree," and "point in time" are derived from the point-like nature of space.
Most derived meanings of "tokoro" are metaphorical extensions based on similarity, as described above. However, there are also two derived meanings based on metonymy about space: "matter" and "state." "Matter" is derived through the metonymic relationship of "container—contents," while "state" is derived through the metonymic relationship of "object—characteristic."