Home Chapter 3. Derivation without category change
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Chapter 3. Derivation without category change

A network-based analysis of diminutive prefixoids in Dutch
  • Muriel Norde and Caroline Morris
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
Search
Category Change from a Constructional Perspective
This chapter is in the book Category Change from a Constructional Perspective

Abstract

Dutch derivational morphology is rich in intensifying prefixoids, i.e. morphemes that occur as independent lexemes but have an intensifying meaning when bound to adjectives or adverbs. A specific variant of these are diminutive prefixoid constructions such as bloedjeserieus (blood-dim-serious) ‘very serious’ or kletsjenat (splash-dim-wet) ‘very wet’. Unlike the regular derivational diminutive however, the diminutive morpheme lacks the ability to change category when added to a prefixoid, and its primary function is a pragmatic one of either emphasis or downtoning. In this paper, we will discuss the formal and semantic-pragmatic properties of the diminutive prefixoid construction, based on an empirical study into its synchronic distribution, as well as explore how prefixoid constructions may be organised in a constructional network.

Abstract

Dutch derivational morphology is rich in intensifying prefixoids, i.e. morphemes that occur as independent lexemes but have an intensifying meaning when bound to adjectives or adverbs. A specific variant of these are diminutive prefixoid constructions such as bloedjeserieus (blood-dim-serious) ‘very serious’ or kletsjenat (splash-dim-wet) ‘very wet’. Unlike the regular derivational diminutive however, the diminutive morpheme lacks the ability to change category when added to a prefixoid, and its primary function is a pragmatic one of either emphasis or downtoning. In this paper, we will discuss the formal and semantic-pragmatic properties of the diminutive prefixoid construction, based on an empirical study into its synchronic distribution, as well as explore how prefixoid constructions may be organised in a constructional network.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Part I. Introduction
  5. Chapter 1. Category change from a constructional perspective 3
  6. Part II. Category genesis
  7. Chapter 2. Category genesis in Chitimacha 15
  8. Chapter 3. Derivation without category change 47
  9. Part III. Category change in syntactic constructions
  10. Chapter 4. Grammaticalization, host-class expansion and category change 93
  11. Chapter 5. Why would anyone take long ? 119
  12. Chapter 6. Category change in the English gerund 149
  13. Chapter 7. The emergence of a new adverbial downtoner 179
  14. Part IV. Category change in morphological constructions
  15. Chapter 8. Category change in construction morphology 209
  16. Chapter 9. Evaluative morphology in German, Dutch and Swedish 229
  17. Chapter 10. Constructional change on the contentful-procedural gradient 263
  18. Part V. Discussion
  19. Chapter 11. Change in category membership from the perspective of construction grammar 291
  20. Construction index 309
  21. Subject index 311
https://doi.org/10.1075/cal.20.03nor

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Part I. Introduction
  5. Chapter 1. Category change from a constructional perspective 3
  6. Part II. Category genesis
  7. Chapter 2. Category genesis in Chitimacha 15
  8. Chapter 3. Derivation without category change 47
  9. Part III. Category change in syntactic constructions
  10. Chapter 4. Grammaticalization, host-class expansion and category change 93
  11. Chapter 5. Why would anyone take long ? 119
  12. Chapter 6. Category change in the English gerund 149
  13. Chapter 7. The emergence of a new adverbial downtoner 179
  14. Part IV. Category change in morphological constructions
  15. Chapter 8. Category change in construction morphology 209
  16. Chapter 9. Evaluative morphology in German, Dutch and Swedish 229
  17. Chapter 10. Constructional change on the contentful-procedural gradient 263
  18. Part V. Discussion
  19. Chapter 11. Change in category membership from the perspective of construction grammar 291
  20. Construction index 309
  21. Subject index 311
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 15.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/cal.20.03nor/html
Scroll to top button