11. Remember, remind , and forget in Amharic
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Mengistu Amberber
Abstract
This paper provides a brief grammatical overview of a number of constructions based on verbs of memory in Amharic. We show that the same verb can mean ‘x remember y’ or ‘x remind y’ depending on the syntactic context. Remember is a subject-experiencer predicate, in that the experiencer is mapped on to subject position. The subject pronominal suffix on the verb agrees with the experiencer argument. In the case of ‘remind’, the experiencer is mapped onto object position and agrees with an optional object pronominal suffix on the verb.
Abstract
This paper provides a brief grammatical overview of a number of constructions based on verbs of memory in Amharic. We show that the same verb can mean ‘x remember y’ or ‘x remind y’ depending on the syntactic context. Remember is a subject-experiencer predicate, in that the experiencer is mapped on to subject position. The subject pronominal suffix on the verb agrees with the experiencer argument. In the case of ‘remind’, the experiencer is mapped onto object position and agrees with an optional object pronominal suffix on the verb.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- About the editor and contributors ix
- 1. Introduction: The language of memory 1
- 2. Is "remember" a universal human concept? "Memory" and culture 13
- 3. Language, memory, and concepts of memory: Semantic diversity and scientific psychology 41
- 4. Standing up your mind: Remembering in Dalabon 67
- 5. The conceptualisation of remembering and forgetting in Russian 97
- 6. A "lexicographic portrait" of forgetting 119
- 7. 'Memorisation', learning and cultural cognition: The notion of bèi ('auditory memorisation') in the written Chinese tradition 139
- 8. A corpus-based analysis of German (sich) erinnern 181
- 9. "Do you remember where you put the key?": The Korean model of remembering 209
- 10. The language of memory in East Cree 235
- 11. Remember, remind , and forget in Amharic 263
- Author index 279
- Language index 281
- Subject index 283
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- About the editor and contributors ix
- 1. Introduction: The language of memory 1
- 2. Is "remember" a universal human concept? "Memory" and culture 13
- 3. Language, memory, and concepts of memory: Semantic diversity and scientific psychology 41
- 4. Standing up your mind: Remembering in Dalabon 67
- 5. The conceptualisation of remembering and forgetting in Russian 97
- 6. A "lexicographic portrait" of forgetting 119
- 7. 'Memorisation', learning and cultural cognition: The notion of bèi ('auditory memorisation') in the written Chinese tradition 139
- 8. A corpus-based analysis of German (sich) erinnern 181
- 9. "Do you remember where you put the key?": The Korean model of remembering 209
- 10. The language of memory in East Cree 235
- 11. Remember, remind , and forget in Amharic 263
- Author index 279
- Language index 281
- Subject index 283
