Chapter 5. Exploring inter-constructional relations in the constructicon
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Francisco Gonzálvez-García
Abstract
Drawing on a cursory contrastive analysis of (i) the reflexive subjective-transitive construction, (ii) the self-descriptive subjective transitive construction, and (iii) the What’s X doing Y? (WXDY) construction in English and Spanish, this chapter explores the feasibility of capturing intra- and inter-constructional generalizations. Specifically, all three constructions must encode a characterization in keeping with the inherent subjective meaning of the secondary predication frame. At a higher level of resolution, in the case of two prima facie distinct constructions such as those in (ii) and (iii), the state of affairs in question should involve a stage-level rather than individual-level construal. I suggest that a similarity in pragmatic function, viz. the subject/speaker’s judgment of a state of affairs as being unexpected or incongruous, may be the unifying factor binding them together in the constructicon.
Abstract
Drawing on a cursory contrastive analysis of (i) the reflexive subjective-transitive construction, (ii) the self-descriptive subjective transitive construction, and (iii) the What’s X doing Y? (WXDY) construction in English and Spanish, this chapter explores the feasibility of capturing intra- and inter-constructional generalizations. Specifically, all three constructions must encode a characterization in keeping with the inherent subjective meaning of the secondary predication frame. At a higher level of resolution, in the case of two prima facie distinct constructions such as those in (ii) and (iii), the state of affairs in question should involve a stage-level rather than individual-level construal. I suggest that a similarity in pragmatic function, viz. the subject/speaker’s judgment of a state of affairs as being unexpected or incongruous, may be the unifying factor binding them together in the constructicon.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Introduction 1
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Part I. Analytical perspectives on grammatical constructions
- Chapter 1. The role of verbs and verb classes in identifying German search -constructions 17
- Chapter 2. Embodied motivations for abstract in and on constructions 53
- Chapter 3. Doing Tsukahara and the Epley in a cross-linguistic perspective 77
- Chapter 4. The role of inferencing in the interpretation of two expressive speech act constructions 109
- Chapter 5. Exploring inter-constructional relations in the constructicon 135
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Part II. From applications to theory and back
- Chapter 6. Revisiting the English resultative family of constructions 175
- Chapter 7. The family of German dative constructions 205
- Chapter 8. Motivation behind the extended senses of the Polish ditransitive construction 241
- Chapter 9. The English conative as a family of constructions 277
- Chapter 10. Multimodal constructional resemblance 301
- Index 339
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Analytical perspectives on grammatical constructions
- Chapter 1. The role of verbs and verb classes in identifying German search -constructions 17
- Chapter 2. Embodied motivations for abstract in and on constructions 53
- Chapter 3. Doing Tsukahara and the Epley in a cross-linguistic perspective 77
- Chapter 4. The role of inferencing in the interpretation of two expressive speech act constructions 109
- Chapter 5. Exploring inter-constructional relations in the constructicon 135
-
Part II. From applications to theory and back
- Chapter 6. Revisiting the English resultative family of constructions 175
- Chapter 7. The family of German dative constructions 205
- Chapter 8. Motivation behind the extended senses of the Polish ditransitive construction 241
- Chapter 9. The English conative as a family of constructions 277
- Chapter 10. Multimodal constructional resemblance 301
- Index 339
