Chapter 6. Expressing non-volitional causality in English
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Jet Hoek
Abstract
English because is assumed to be polysemous in that it can be used to mark causal relations in all domains. The current study examines this claim and explores the suitability of because to mark non-volitional content relations. In a parallel corpus study, we investigate how causal relations translated into Dutch using doordat (prototypically marking non-volitional causal relations), omdat (marking content relations), and want (marking epistemic and speech act relations) were originally expressed in English. The results show that while omdat and want are indeed typically translations of because in English, non-volitional doordat is not. A qualitative analysis reveals that non-volitional causality is more often expressed in English in a single discourse unit or using a connective restricted to the content domain. These findings have important consequences for the presumed domain generality of English because and call for a reconsideration of English translation recommendations for doordat.
Abstract
English because is assumed to be polysemous in that it can be used to mark causal relations in all domains. The current study examines this claim and explores the suitability of because to mark non-volitional content relations. In a parallel corpus study, we investigate how causal relations translated into Dutch using doordat (prototypically marking non-volitional causal relations), omdat (marking content relations), and want (marking epistemic and speech act relations) were originally expressed in English. The results show that while omdat and want are indeed typically translations of because in English, non-volitional doordat is not. A qualitative analysis reveals that non-volitional causality is more often expressed in English in a single discourse unit or using a connective restricted to the content domain. These findings have important consequences for the presumed domain generality of English because and call for a reconsideration of English translation recommendations for doordat.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface and acknowledgments vii
- Chapter 1. Outline of the volume 1
-
Part I. Setting the scene
- Chapter 2. Adverbial clauses and their variation 15
-
Part II. Synchronic variation
- Chapter 3. Types of German causal clauses and their syntactic-semantic layers 51
- Chapter 4. Pragmatic subordination 101
- Chapter 5. English rationale since and a reassessment of the typology of adverbial clauses 129
- Chapter 6. Expressing non-volitional causality in English 167
- Chapter 7. Layers of subordinate clauses 184
- Chapter 8. On the syntax of causal clauses in Mandarin Chinese 221
- Chapter 9. Three ReasonPs 250
-
Part III. Diachrony
- Chapter 10. On the divergent developments of two German causal subjunctions 269
- Chapter 11. Factors for the integration of causal clauses in the history of German 311
- Language index 347
- Subject index 348
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface and acknowledgments vii
- Chapter 1. Outline of the volume 1
-
Part I. Setting the scene
- Chapter 2. Adverbial clauses and their variation 15
-
Part II. Synchronic variation
- Chapter 3. Types of German causal clauses and their syntactic-semantic layers 51
- Chapter 4. Pragmatic subordination 101
- Chapter 5. English rationale since and a reassessment of the typology of adverbial clauses 129
- Chapter 6. Expressing non-volitional causality in English 167
- Chapter 7. Layers of subordinate clauses 184
- Chapter 8. On the syntax of causal clauses in Mandarin Chinese 221
- Chapter 9. Three ReasonPs 250
-
Part III. Diachrony
- Chapter 10. On the divergent developments of two German causal subjunctions 269
- Chapter 11. Factors for the integration of causal clauses in the history of German 311
- Language index 347
- Subject index 348
