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Semantic motivation of the English auxiliary

  • Ronald W. Langacker
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Motivation in Grammar and the Lexicon
This chapter is in the book Motivation in Grammar and the Lexicon

Abstract

Motivation offers a viable middle ground to extreme positions that are clearly untenable. Here I consider the semantic motivation of grammar, as exemplified by the English auxiliary. Properly characterized in terms of systems of elements serving particular semantic functions, the auxiliary is seen as being efficient and highly motivated. Its apparent idiosyncrasies reflect the functions served and the meanings of the elements employed.

Abstract

Motivation offers a viable middle ground to extreme positions that are clearly untenable. Here I consider the semantic motivation of grammar, as exemplified by the English auxiliary. Properly characterized in terms of systems of elements serving particular semantic functions, the auxiliary is seen as being efficient and highly motivated. Its apparent idiosyncrasies reflect the functions served and the meanings of the elements employed.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part I. Motivation in grammar
  6. Semantic motivation of the English auxiliary 29
  7. The mind as ground 49
  8. Motivating the flexibility of oriented - ly adverbs 71
  9. The cognitive motivation for the use of dangling participles in English 89
  10. What motivates an inference? 107
  11. The conceptual motivation of aspect 133
  12. Metaphoric motivation in grammatical structure 149
  13. Motivation in English must and Hungarian kell 171
  14. The socio-cultural motivation of referent honorifics in Korean and Japanese 191
  15. Part II. Motivation in the Lexicon
  16. Conceptual motivation in adjectival semantics 215
  17. Metonymy, metaphor and the “weekend frame of mind” 233
  18. Intrinsic or extrinsic motivation? 251
  19. Motivational networks 269
  20. The “meaning-full” vocabulary of English and German 287
  21. Name index 299
  22. Subject index 303
https://doi.org/10.1075/hcp.27.04lan

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part I. Motivation in grammar
  6. Semantic motivation of the English auxiliary 29
  7. The mind as ground 49
  8. Motivating the flexibility of oriented - ly adverbs 71
  9. The cognitive motivation for the use of dangling participles in English 89
  10. What motivates an inference? 107
  11. The conceptual motivation of aspect 133
  12. Metaphoric motivation in grammatical structure 149
  13. Motivation in English must and Hungarian kell 171
  14. The socio-cultural motivation of referent honorifics in Korean and Japanese 191
  15. Part II. Motivation in the Lexicon
  16. Conceptual motivation in adjectival semantics 215
  17. Metonymy, metaphor and the “weekend frame of mind” 233
  18. Intrinsic or extrinsic motivation? 251
  19. Motivational networks 269
  20. The “meaning-full” vocabulary of English and German 287
  21. Name index 299
  22. Subject index 303
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