Chapter 3. A matter of degree?
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Tatiana Reznikova
Abstract
The article studies the domain of wetness in 20 languages. In many of them the domain features two main words (e.g. German nass, feucht; Mongolian nojton, čijgleg; Moksha načkə, l’et’kə) and the difference between them tends to be described in terms of degree, i.e. ‘intensely’ versus ‘slightly wet’. Typological analysis shows that in each case the degree of humidity receives a specific interpretation depending on the noun that is being modified, so that the choice of a particular synonym is based not simply on the quantity of the fluid, but on the situation as a whole (including the source of moisture, intentional versus non-intentional event, etc.). We also discuss the additional factors relevant to the domain in the languages that have more than two words in it, that is, the additional words with a positive or a negative connotation, or moisture from contact with a liquid versus moisture absorbed from humid air.
Abstract
The article studies the domain of wetness in 20 languages. In many of them the domain features two main words (e.g. German nass, feucht; Mongolian nojton, čijgleg; Moksha načkə, l’et’kə) and the difference between them tends to be described in terms of degree, i.e. ‘intensely’ versus ‘slightly wet’. Typological analysis shows that in each case the degree of humidity receives a specific interpretation depending on the noun that is being modified, so that the choice of a particular synonym is based not simply on the quantity of the fluid, but on the situation as a whole (including the source of moisture, intentional versus non-intentional event, etc.). We also discuss the additional factors relevant to the domain in the languages that have more than two words in it, that is, the additional words with a positive or a negative connotation, or moisture from contact with a liquid versus moisture absorbed from humid air.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
- Chapter 2. Methodology at work 29
- Chapter 3. A matter of degree? 57
- Chapter 4. Quality as a two-place predicate 79
- Chapter 5. Typology of dimensions 117
- Chapter 6. The domain of surface texture 161
- Chapter 7. A new approach to old studies 189
- Chapter 8. Talking temperature with close relatives 215
- Chapter 9. Lexical typology of Mandarin Chinese qualitative features 269
- Chapter 10. The qualitative lexicon in Russian Sign Language from a typological perspective 289
- Chapter 11. Constructing a typological questionnaire with distributional semantic models 309
- Language index 329
- Subject index 333
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
- Chapter 2. Methodology at work 29
- Chapter 3. A matter of degree? 57
- Chapter 4. Quality as a two-place predicate 79
- Chapter 5. Typology of dimensions 117
- Chapter 6. The domain of surface texture 161
- Chapter 7. A new approach to old studies 189
- Chapter 8. Talking temperature with close relatives 215
- Chapter 9. Lexical typology of Mandarin Chinese qualitative features 269
- Chapter 10. The qualitative lexicon in Russian Sign Language from a typological perspective 289
- Chapter 11. Constructing a typological questionnaire with distributional semantic models 309
- Language index 329
- Subject index 333
