The reputed sense of be meant to
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Steve Disney
Abstract
This paper presents a case study of be meant to in a usage-based (Langacker 2008), construction grammar (Goldberg 1995) perspective. In contrast to other say/believe type verbs, the evidential ‘reputed’ sense of be meant to in (1) is not a passive of an active sense of mean. (1) He’s meant to be the sexiest man in America. (ICE-GB: sla 065 059) The development can be accounted for by a process of analogy to Noël’s (2001) “hearsay” NCI (nominativus cum infinitivo) construction. However, the developmental path for be meant to appears to breach the Semantic Map Connectivity Hypothesis (Croft 2001). The paper discusses the development of be meant to in this use and how the form has a multiple synonymy with be supposed to, including a new use reporting predictions.
Abstract
This paper presents a case study of be meant to in a usage-based (Langacker 2008), construction grammar (Goldberg 1995) perspective. In contrast to other say/believe type verbs, the evidential ‘reputed’ sense of be meant to in (1) is not a passive of an active sense of mean. (1) He’s meant to be the sexiest man in America. (ICE-GB: sla 065 059) The development can be accounted for by a process of analogy to Noël’s (2001) “hearsay” NCI (nominativus cum infinitivo) construction. However, the developmental path for be meant to appears to breach the Semantic Map Connectivity Hypothesis (Croft 2001). The paper discusses the development of be meant to in this use and how the form has a multiple synonymy with be supposed to, including a new use reporting predictions.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
- Synchrony and diachrony 1
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Part I. The role of analogy and constructions in the synchrony-diachrony interface
- Gradualness in language change 27
- Gradual change and continual variation 43
- Can you literally be scared sick ? 79
- The reputed sense of be meant to 105
- Gradualness in analogical change as a complexification stage in a language simplification process 125
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Part II. Synchronic variation and language change
- Semantic maps, for synchronic and diachronic typology 153
- Synchronic gradience and language change in Latin genitive constructions 177
- Double agreement in the Alpine languages 201
- On variation in gender agreement 237
- Synchronic Variation and Grammatical Change 261
- A case study on the relationship between grammatical change and synchronic variation 283
- Grammaticalization in the present – The changes of modern Swedish typ 313
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Part III. Gradualness in language change
- Gradualness in change in English (augmented) absolutes 341
- Grammatical encoding of referentiality in the history of Hungarian 367
- Gradualness in contact-induced constructional replication 391
- Binding Hierarchy and peculiarities of the verb potere in some Southern Calabrian varieties 419
- Author index 441
- Subject index 447
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
- Synchrony and diachrony 1
-
Part I. The role of analogy and constructions in the synchrony-diachrony interface
- Gradualness in language change 27
- Gradual change and continual variation 43
- Can you literally be scared sick ? 79
- The reputed sense of be meant to 105
- Gradualness in analogical change as a complexification stage in a language simplification process 125
-
Part II. Synchronic variation and language change
- Semantic maps, for synchronic and diachronic typology 153
- Synchronic gradience and language change in Latin genitive constructions 177
- Double agreement in the Alpine languages 201
- On variation in gender agreement 237
- Synchronic Variation and Grammatical Change 261
- A case study on the relationship between grammatical change and synchronic variation 283
- Grammaticalization in the present – The changes of modern Swedish typ 313
-
Part III. Gradualness in language change
- Gradualness in change in English (augmented) absolutes 341
- Grammatical encoding of referentiality in the history of Hungarian 367
- Gradualness in contact-induced constructional replication 391
- Binding Hierarchy and peculiarities of the verb potere in some Southern Calabrian varieties 419
- Author index 441
- Subject index 447
