The organization of the German clausal grounding system
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Elena Smirnova
Abstract
This chapter examines the verbal categories of German in terms of grounding predications. Using the broad notion of deixis as a starting point for the examination, it first proposes a unified description of grounding predications as a particular class of deictic expressions. Second, it suggests that three general classification criteria – the nature of the grounded entity, the nature of the grounding relation, and the construal configuration of the ground – constitute a model which may be applied on grounding predications in different languages in order to discover their similarities and differences. The proposed model is applied to the German clausal grounding system, concentrating on German temporal and modal grounding predications.
Abstract
This chapter examines the verbal categories of German in terms of grounding predications. Using the broad notion of deixis as a starting point for the examination, it first proposes a unified description of grounding predications as a particular class of deictic expressions. Second, it suggests that three general classification criteria – the nature of the grounded entity, the nature of the grounding relation, and the construal configuration of the ground – constitute a model which may be applied on grounding predications in different languages in order to discover their similarities and differences. The proposed model is applied to the German clausal grounding system, concentrating on German temporal and modal grounding predications.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Acknowledgments ix
- Introduction 1
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Part I. Theoretical foundations
- The definition of modality 21
- The English present 45
- The organization of the German clausal grounding system 87
- Grounding in terms of anchoring relations 109
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Part II. Descriptive application
- Some remarks on the role of the reference point in the construal configuration of “more” and “less” grounding predications 137
- New current relevance in Croatian 159
- Aspect as a scanning device in natural language processing 181
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Part III. Descriptive application
- Imperfective aspect and epistemic modality 217
- Communicating about the past through modality in English and Thai 249
- The epistemic uses of the English simple past and the French imparfait 279
- Name Index 311
- Subject Index 315
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Acknowledgments ix
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Theoretical foundations
- The definition of modality 21
- The English present 45
- The organization of the German clausal grounding system 87
- Grounding in terms of anchoring relations 109
-
Part II. Descriptive application
- Some remarks on the role of the reference point in the construal configuration of “more” and “less” grounding predications 137
- New current relevance in Croatian 159
- Aspect as a scanning device in natural language processing 181
-
Part III. Descriptive application
- Imperfective aspect and epistemic modality 217
- Communicating about the past through modality in English and Thai 249
- The epistemic uses of the English simple past and the French imparfait 279
- Name Index 311
- Subject Index 315
