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Chapter 7. The emergence of a new adverbial downtoner

Constructional change and constructionalization of Dutch [ver van X] and [verre van X] ‘far from X’
  • Kristel Van Goethem , Gudrun Vanderbauwhede and Hendrik De Smet
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Category Change from a Constructional Perspective
This chapter is in the book Category Change from a Constructional Perspective

Abstract

The English expression far from, denoting spatial or metaphorical distance, has developed into an adverbial downtoner (De Smet, 2012). In this corpus-based study, our first purpose is to analyze to which degree the Dutch counterparts of the English [far from X] construction, that is [ver van X] and [verre van X], have also developed into downtoners. We show that synchronically ver van mostly has a spatial or metaphorical meaning, while verre van is generally used as an adverbial downtoner. As a second objective, we explore the diachronic pathways taken by both constructions and argue that the category change undergone by [verre van X] is part of a true constructionalization process, while [ver van X] has been affected by minor constructional changes only.

Abstract

The English expression far from, denoting spatial or metaphorical distance, has developed into an adverbial downtoner (De Smet, 2012). In this corpus-based study, our first purpose is to analyze to which degree the Dutch counterparts of the English [far from X] construction, that is [ver van X] and [verre van X], have also developed into downtoners. We show that synchronically ver van mostly has a spatial or metaphorical meaning, while verre van is generally used as an adverbial downtoner. As a second objective, we explore the diachronic pathways taken by both constructions and argue that the category change undergone by [verre van X] is part of a true constructionalization process, while [ver van X] has been affected by minor constructional changes only.

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.20.07goe

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
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