Constructional pressures on ‘sit’ in Modern Greek
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Soteria Svorou
Abstract
This study argues for a constructional account of the non-postural senses of Modern Greek verb kaθοme ‘I sit’. Corpus data provide a detailed account of the constructional pressures on kaθοme as V1 in conjunctive coordination of verbs (V1 and V2) and show that the non-postural senses emerge in syntactically compact versions of the string with shared subject and tense/aspect where locative adverbials and posture and disposition adjectives, characteristic of the postural interpretations, never occur. In such uses, the morphologically coded aspectual frame further determines a deliberate action or an extended duration interpretation framing V2 verbs, typically of mental activity or communication. Pragmatic inferences tied to the construction provide further motivation for considering the string a form-meaning composite.
Abstract
This study argues for a constructional account of the non-postural senses of Modern Greek verb kaθοme ‘I sit’. Corpus data provide a detailed account of the constructional pressures on kaθοme as V1 in conjunctive coordination of verbs (V1 and V2) and show that the non-postural senses emerge in syntactically compact versions of the string with shared subject and tense/aspect where locative adverbials and posture and disposition adjectives, characteristic of the postural interpretations, never occur. In such uses, the morphologically coded aspectual frame further determines a deliberate action or an extended duration interpretation framing V2 verbs, typically of mental activity or communication. Pragmatic inferences tied to the construction provide further motivation for considering the string a form-meaning composite.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- The authors’ reflections on Joan ix
- Introduction xv
- Features of some ergative languages that impact on acquisition 1
- Constructional pressures on ‘sit’ in Modern Greek 17
- know and understand in ASL 59
- Traces of demonstrative grammaticalization in Spanish variable subject expression 89
- The company that word-boundary sounds keep 107
- Cumulative exposure to phonetic reducing environments marks the lexicon 127
- A usage-based account for the historical reflexes of ain’t in AAE 155
- Gradient conventionalization of the Spanish expression of ‘becoming’ quedar(se) + ADJ in seven centuries 175
- The evidence add ups 199
- LOOK up about 225
- About the authors 247
- Index 249
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- The authors’ reflections on Joan ix
- Introduction xv
- Features of some ergative languages that impact on acquisition 1
- Constructional pressures on ‘sit’ in Modern Greek 17
- know and understand in ASL 59
- Traces of demonstrative grammaticalization in Spanish variable subject expression 89
- The company that word-boundary sounds keep 107
- Cumulative exposure to phonetic reducing environments marks the lexicon 127
- A usage-based account for the historical reflexes of ain’t in AAE 155
- Gradient conventionalization of the Spanish expression of ‘becoming’ quedar(se) + ADJ in seven centuries 175
- The evidence add ups 199
- LOOK up about 225
- About the authors 247
- Index 249
