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Constructional pressures on ‘sit’ in Modern Greek

Abstract

This study argues for a constructional account of the non-postural senses of Modern Greek verb kaθοme ‘I sit’. Corpus data provide a detailed account of the constructional pressures on kaθοme as V1 in conjunctive coordination of verbs (V1 and V2) and show that the non-postural senses emerge in syntactically compact versions of the string with shared subject and tense/aspect where locative adverbials and posture and disposition adjectives, characteristic of the postural interpretations, never occur. In such uses, the morphologically coded aspectual frame further determines a deliberate action or an extended duration interpretation framing V2 verbs, typically of mental activity or communication. Pragmatic inferences tied to the construction provide further motivation for considering the string a form-meaning composite.

Abstract

This study argues for a constructional account of the non-postural senses of Modern Greek verb kaθοme ‘I sit’. Corpus data provide a detailed account of the constructional pressures on kaθοme as V1 in conjunctive coordination of verbs (V1 and V2) and show that the non-postural senses emerge in syntactically compact versions of the string with shared subject and tense/aspect where locative adverbials and posture and disposition adjectives, characteristic of the postural interpretations, never occur. In such uses, the morphologically coded aspectual frame further determines a deliberate action or an extended duration interpretation framing V2 verbs, typically of mental activity or communication. Pragmatic inferences tied to the construction provide further motivation for considering the string a form-meaning composite.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. The authors’ reflections on Joan ix
  5. Introduction xv
  6. Features of some ergative languages that impact on acquisition 1
  7. Constructional pressures on ‘sit’ in Modern Greek 17
  8. know and understand in ASL 59
  9. Traces of demonstrative grammaticalization in Spanish variable subject expression 89
  10. The company that word-boundary sounds keep 107
  11. Cumulative exposure to phonetic reducing environments marks the lexicon 127
  12. A usage-based account for the historical reflexes of ain’t in AAE 155
  13. Gradient conventionalization of the Spanish expression of ‘becoming’ quedar(se) + ADJ in seven centuries 175
  14. The evidence add ups 199
  15. LOOK up about 225
  16. About the authors 247
  17. Index 249
Functionalist and Usage-based Approaches to the Study of Language
This chapter is in the book Functionalist and Usage-based Approaches to the Study of Language
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.192.02svo

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. The authors’ reflections on Joan ix
  5. Introduction xv
  6. Features of some ergative languages that impact on acquisition 1
  7. Constructional pressures on ‘sit’ in Modern Greek 17
  8. know and understand in ASL 59
  9. Traces of demonstrative grammaticalization in Spanish variable subject expression 89
  10. The company that word-boundary sounds keep 107
  11. Cumulative exposure to phonetic reducing environments marks the lexicon 127
  12. A usage-based account for the historical reflexes of ain’t in AAE 155
  13. Gradient conventionalization of the Spanish expression of ‘becoming’ quedar(se) + ADJ in seven centuries 175
  14. The evidence add ups 199
  15. LOOK up about 225
  16. About the authors 247
  17. Index 249
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