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Temperature terms in Modern Greek

  • Katerina Stathi
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The Linguistics of Temperature
This chapter is in the book The Linguistics of Temperature

Abstract

This paper gives a descriptive overview of the Modern Greek system of temperature terms. Temperature sensation is lexicalised by ten adjectives, eight nouns, and four verbs. All terms are of native origin. Lexicalisation of temperature is characterised by a number of asymmetries. Each word class is prototypically associated with the expression of one kind of temperature evaluation. Adjectives express mainly tactile, nouns ambient, and verbs personal-feeling temperature. Adjectives lexicalise more temperature values than nouns and verbs. In addition to the warming and cooling dimension, adjectives also lexicalise neutral temperature. In the warming dimension, Modern Greek conflates warm and hot in the adjective zestós. Modern Greek has a system of two basic terms, the adjectives zestós ‘warm/hot’ and kríos ‘cold’.

Abstract

This paper gives a descriptive overview of the Modern Greek system of temperature terms. Temperature sensation is lexicalised by ten adjectives, eight nouns, and four verbs. All terms are of native origin. Lexicalisation of temperature is characterised by a number of asymmetries. Each word class is prototypically associated with the expression of one kind of temperature evaluation. Adjectives express mainly tactile, nouns ambient, and verbs personal-feeling temperature. Adjectives lexicalise more temperature values than nouns and verbs. In addition to the warming and cooling dimension, adjectives also lexicalise neutral temperature. In the warming dimension, Modern Greek conflates warm and hot in the adjective zestós. Modern Greek has a system of two basic terms, the adjectives zestós ‘warm/hot’ and kríos ‘cold’.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of Maps viii
  4. Acknowledgements x
  5. Introducing “The linguistics of temperature” 1
  6. PART 1. Africa
  7. “Hard sun, hot weather, skin pain” 43
  8. The semantics and metaphorical extensions of temperature terms in Gurenɛ 73
  9. Unravelling temperature terms in Sɛlɛɛ 107
  10. Lexicalisation of temperature concepts in Gbaya (an Ubanguian language of C.A.R.) 128
  11. Climate, temperature and polysemous patterns in French and Wolof 151
  12. Temperature terms in selected African languages 187
  13. PART 2. Eurasia
  14. Adjectives of temperature in Latvian 216
  15. What’s hot and what’s not in English and Serbian 254
  16. In the warmth of the Ukrainian temperature domain 300
  17. Asymmetries in Italian temperature terminology 333
  18. Temperature terms in Modern Greek 354
  19. Temperature terms in Modern Eastern Armenian 392
  20. Facts, feelings and temperature expressions in the Hindukush 440
  21. Blowing hot, hotter, and hotter yet 471
  22. Temperature adjectives in Finnish 491
  23. Temperature terms in Nganasan 537
  24. Temperature terms in Khalkha Mongolian 570
  25. Temperature terms in Lao, Southern Zhuang, Southern Pinghua and Cantonese 594
  26. Subdomains of temperature concepts in Japanese 639
  27. Why is it not cool? Temperature terms in Indonesian 666
  28. PART 3. The Americas
  29. Temperature domain in West Greenlandic 703
  30. “There is no thermostat in the forest” – the Ojibwe temperature term system 721
  31. Temperature terms and their meaning in Yucatec Maya (Mexico) 742
  32. Temperature terms in Mapudungun 776
  33. Temperature terms in Hup, a Nadahup language of Amazonia 792
  34. PART 4. Australia and Oceania
  35. Bardi temperature terms 815
  36. Temperature terms in northern Vanuatu 832
  37. Temperature terms in Kamang and Abui, two Papuan languages of Alor 858
  38. PART 5. Typology
  39. The syntax of temperature predications 889
  40. Subject Index 917
  41. Language Index 929
  42. Name Index 931
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.107.12sta

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of Maps viii
  4. Acknowledgements x
  5. Introducing “The linguistics of temperature” 1
  6. PART 1. Africa
  7. “Hard sun, hot weather, skin pain” 43
  8. The semantics and metaphorical extensions of temperature terms in Gurenɛ 73
  9. Unravelling temperature terms in Sɛlɛɛ 107
  10. Lexicalisation of temperature concepts in Gbaya (an Ubanguian language of C.A.R.) 128
  11. Climate, temperature and polysemous patterns in French and Wolof 151
  12. Temperature terms in selected African languages 187
  13. PART 2. Eurasia
  14. Adjectives of temperature in Latvian 216
  15. What’s hot and what’s not in English and Serbian 254
  16. In the warmth of the Ukrainian temperature domain 300
  17. Asymmetries in Italian temperature terminology 333
  18. Temperature terms in Modern Greek 354
  19. Temperature terms in Modern Eastern Armenian 392
  20. Facts, feelings and temperature expressions in the Hindukush 440
  21. Blowing hot, hotter, and hotter yet 471
  22. Temperature adjectives in Finnish 491
  23. Temperature terms in Nganasan 537
  24. Temperature terms in Khalkha Mongolian 570
  25. Temperature terms in Lao, Southern Zhuang, Southern Pinghua and Cantonese 594
  26. Subdomains of temperature concepts in Japanese 639
  27. Why is it not cool? Temperature terms in Indonesian 666
  28. PART 3. The Americas
  29. Temperature domain in West Greenlandic 703
  30. “There is no thermostat in the forest” – the Ojibwe temperature term system 721
  31. Temperature terms and their meaning in Yucatec Maya (Mexico) 742
  32. Temperature terms in Mapudungun 776
  33. Temperature terms in Hup, a Nadahup language of Amazonia 792
  34. PART 4. Australia and Oceania
  35. Bardi temperature terms 815
  36. Temperature terms in northern Vanuatu 832
  37. Temperature terms in Kamang and Abui, two Papuan languages of Alor 858
  38. PART 5. Typology
  39. The syntax of temperature predications 889
  40. Subject Index 917
  41. Language Index 929
  42. Name Index 931
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