Physical and communicative force in Caused-Motion constructions
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Klaus-Uwe Panther
Abstract
Folk models of “mere” talk and “real” action shape the inferential properties of Transitive Caused-Motion (TCM) constructions with a human Patient as direct object. Physical action verbs like force into/out of semantically entail motion of the Patient into/out of a location. In contrast, constructions with speech act verbs like order into/out of pragmatically implicate motion of the Patient. Notwithstanding, cases like boo out of show that strong communicative pressure can result in entailed motion of the Patient. Finally, the contrast between constructional pairs like order somebody out of the car (stronger implicature of motion) vs. order somebody to get out of the car (weaker implicature of motion) supports the hypothesis of an iconic relationship between syntactic closeness and implicational strength.
Abstract
Folk models of “mere” talk and “real” action shape the inferential properties of Transitive Caused-Motion (TCM) constructions with a human Patient as direct object. Physical action verbs like force into/out of semantically entail motion of the Patient into/out of a location. In contrast, constructions with speech act verbs like order into/out of pragmatically implicate motion of the Patient. Notwithstanding, cases like boo out of show that strong communicative pressure can result in entailed motion of the Patient. Finally, the contrast between constructional pairs like order somebody out of the car (stronger implicature of motion) vs. order somebody to get out of the car (weaker implicature of motion) supports the hypothesis of an iconic relationship between syntactic closeness and implicational strength.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Figurative thought and language research in the 21st century 1
-
Part 1. Modeling figurative thought and language
- Important challenges in the study of metaphors 19
- A Cognitive Grammar approach to ‘metonymy’ 37
- Targetting metonymic targets 59
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Part 2. The impact of figurative thought on linguistic structures
- The effect of figurative thought on basic level categorization 89
- Reconsidering accounts of the grammaticalization of auxiliaries 113
- Physical and communicative force in Caused-Motion constructions 141
-
Part 3. Processing of figurative language
- Embodied simulations and verbal irony comprehension 167
- Verbal and situational irony 185
-
Part 4. Figurative thought and language in use
- Metonymies of migration 215
- Draining the swamp 237
- Being in the same boat , in two ways 259
- Index 285
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Figurative thought and language research in the 21st century 1
-
Part 1. Modeling figurative thought and language
- Important challenges in the study of metaphors 19
- A Cognitive Grammar approach to ‘metonymy’ 37
- Targetting metonymic targets 59
-
Part 2. The impact of figurative thought on linguistic structures
- The effect of figurative thought on basic level categorization 89
- Reconsidering accounts of the grammaticalization of auxiliaries 113
- Physical and communicative force in Caused-Motion constructions 141
-
Part 3. Processing of figurative language
- Embodied simulations and verbal irony comprehension 167
- Verbal and situational irony 185
-
Part 4. Figurative thought and language in use
- Metonymies of migration 215
- Draining the swamp 237
- Being in the same boat , in two ways 259
- Index 285
