The prototype approach to meaning is very important to the field of semantics as mentioned in previous posts about
prototype semantics. People think in categories and assign objects to categories by comparing the objects to what they think will provide the best example of that category. A good way to illustrate this concept is with a prototype semantics diagram.
Following is a prototype semantics diagram of the category
bird:
The further out from the center of the circle each object is - the less prototypical that object is for the category that is being diagrammed. This diagram reveals that people think of bluejays, robins, and doves as more prototypical birds than penguins or ostriches.
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