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Chapter 2. Collection nouns as a derivational category in Spanish

Analysing the productivity of collective suffixes on the basis of ad hoc constructs
  • Désirée Kleineberg
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Constructions in Spanish
This chapter is in the book Constructions in Spanish

Abstract

The paper examines the productivity of a constructional schema of collectivity in Spanish. We analyse nonce-formations derived from typical collective suffixes and classify their meanings. The analysis reveals that the derivation of collection nouns in Spanish is productive, mostly represented by the suffixes ‑ erío and ‑amen. A comparison to French and Italian data further reveals a continuum of productivity of this schema in Romance languages. In Italian, it has various subordinated constructions instantiated by the suffixes ‑ame, ‑ ume and ‑ aglia , with French only being represented by the suffix ‑ aille . The study reveals a detailed picture not only of the functional distribution of each suffix and language, but also the functional links between different forms, i.e. suffixes, and functions. The analysis implies that an onomasiological examination of collective nouns in Romance is not only fruitful, but indispensable.

Abstract

The paper examines the productivity of a constructional schema of collectivity in Spanish. We analyse nonce-formations derived from typical collective suffixes and classify their meanings. The analysis reveals that the derivation of collection nouns in Spanish is productive, mostly represented by the suffixes ‑ erío and ‑amen. A comparison to French and Italian data further reveals a continuum of productivity of this schema in Romance languages. In Italian, it has various subordinated constructions instantiated by the suffixes ‑ame, ‑ ume and ‑ aglia , with French only being represented by the suffix ‑ aille . The study reveals a detailed picture not only of the functional distribution of each suffix and language, but also the functional links between different forms, i.e. suffixes, and functions. The analysis implies that an onomasiological examination of collective nouns in Romance is not only fruitful, but indispensable.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Part 1. Introduction
  4. Chapter 1. Construction Grammar meets Hispanic linguistics 2
  5. Part 2. Comparative word-formation constructions
  6. Chapter 2. Collection nouns as a derivational category in Spanish 28
  7. Chapter 3. Lexical reduplication in Spanish and Italian 57
  8. Part 3. Phrase-level constructions
  9. Chapter 4. A constructional approach to causative support verbs in Spanish 78
  10. Chapter 5. From idioms to semi-schematic constructions and vice versa 103
  11. Chapter 6. The construction [ a TODO N sg ] in Spanish 129
  12. Part 4. Abstract and schematic constructions
  13. Chapter 7. On deconstructing mood 156
  14. Chapter 8. Quotative que constructions in Spanish 193
  15. Chapter 9. Que conste/sepas and como si constructions in Spanish 224
  16. Chapter 10. A constructional analysis of digo yo in peninsular Spanish 255
  17. Part 5. Extending the scope of constructionist research on Spanish
  18. Chapter 11. From he aquí to aquí está 280
  19. Chapter 12. On the role of verb-particle constructions in Old Spanish 309
  20. Chapter 13. What can collaboratively produced lists tell us about constructions? 340
  21. Chapter 14. Construction grammar and foreign language learning (L3) 375
  22. Subject index 405
  23. Construction index 408
https://doi.org/10.1075/cal.34.02kle

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Part 1. Introduction
  4. Chapter 1. Construction Grammar meets Hispanic linguistics 2
  5. Part 2. Comparative word-formation constructions
  6. Chapter 2. Collection nouns as a derivational category in Spanish 28
  7. Chapter 3. Lexical reduplication in Spanish and Italian 57
  8. Part 3. Phrase-level constructions
  9. Chapter 4. A constructional approach to causative support verbs in Spanish 78
  10. Chapter 5. From idioms to semi-schematic constructions and vice versa 103
  11. Chapter 6. The construction [ a TODO N sg ] in Spanish 129
  12. Part 4. Abstract and schematic constructions
  13. Chapter 7. On deconstructing mood 156
  14. Chapter 8. Quotative que constructions in Spanish 193
  15. Chapter 9. Que conste/sepas and como si constructions in Spanish 224
  16. Chapter 10. A constructional analysis of digo yo in peninsular Spanish 255
  17. Part 5. Extending the scope of constructionist research on Spanish
  18. Chapter 11. From he aquí to aquí está 280
  19. Chapter 12. On the role of verb-particle constructions in Old Spanish 309
  20. Chapter 13. What can collaboratively produced lists tell us about constructions? 340
  21. Chapter 14. Construction grammar and foreign language learning (L3) 375
  22. Subject index 405
  23. Construction index 408
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