French compound prepositions, prepositional locutions and prepositional phrases in the scope of the absolute use
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Silvia Adler
Abstract
In respect of their absolute use, without complement, French sequences sharing the pattern [Preposition – Definite article – Noun – Preposition] have to be subcategorized by lexical and by semantic parameters. These sequences are frequently classified as “prepositional locutions” in the French linguistic literature, but it seems that this label is wrongly attached to many of them. Our goal is, first, to establish a categorization method whose purpose is to draw a border between the different prepositional expressions. This will allow us to dissociate their absolute use from their lexical status. However, once it is made clear that many of these alleged prepositional locutions are nothing more than regular prepositional phrases, the absolute use can no longer be unconditionally attributed to ellipsis. Second, we will examine why mainly temporal and spatial expressions accept the absolute use contrary to expressions denoting cause, goal, opposition, concession, etc. Consequently, the part of what is usually considered as ‘arbitrary behavior’ in this field will be significantly reduced.
Abstract
In respect of their absolute use, without complement, French sequences sharing the pattern [Preposition – Definite article – Noun – Preposition] have to be subcategorized by lexical and by semantic parameters. These sequences are frequently classified as “prepositional locutions” in the French linguistic literature, but it seems that this label is wrongly attached to many of them. Our goal is, first, to establish a categorization method whose purpose is to draw a border between the different prepositional expressions. This will allow us to dissociate their absolute use from their lexical status. However, once it is made clear that many of these alleged prepositional locutions are nothing more than regular prepositional phrases, the absolute use can no longer be unconditionally attributed to ellipsis. Second, we will examine why mainly temporal and spatial expressions accept the absolute use contrary to expressions denoting cause, goal, opposition, concession, etc. Consequently, the part of what is usually considered as ‘arbitrary behavior’ in this field will be significantly reduced.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction 1
- The contributors 13
- French compound prepositions, prepositional locutions and prepositional phrases in the scope of the absolute use 17
- "Over the hills and far away" or "far away over the hills": English place adverb phrases and place prepositional phrases in tandem? 37
- Structures with omitted prepositions: Semantic and pragmatic motivations 67
- A closer look at the Hebrew Construct and free locative PPs: The analysis of mi- locatives 85
- Pragmatics of prepositions: A study of the French connectives pour le coup and du coup 115
- Particles and postpositions in Korean 133
- French prepositions à and de in infinitival complements: A pragma-semantic analysis 171
- Prepositional wars: When ideology defines preposition 191
- "Ago" and its grammatical status in English and in other languages 209
- Case marking of Turkic adpositional objects 229
- The logic of addition: Changes in the meaning of the Hebrew preposition im ("with"). 257
- A monosemic view of polysemic prepositions 273
- The development of Classical Armenian prepositions and its implications for universals of language change 289
- Author index 301
- Languages index 303
- Subject index 305
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction 1
- The contributors 13
- French compound prepositions, prepositional locutions and prepositional phrases in the scope of the absolute use 17
- "Over the hills and far away" or "far away over the hills": English place adverb phrases and place prepositional phrases in tandem? 37
- Structures with omitted prepositions: Semantic and pragmatic motivations 67
- A closer look at the Hebrew Construct and free locative PPs: The analysis of mi- locatives 85
- Pragmatics of prepositions: A study of the French connectives pour le coup and du coup 115
- Particles and postpositions in Korean 133
- French prepositions à and de in infinitival complements: A pragma-semantic analysis 171
- Prepositional wars: When ideology defines preposition 191
- "Ago" and its grammatical status in English and in other languages 209
- Case marking of Turkic adpositional objects 229
- The logic of addition: Changes in the meaning of the Hebrew preposition im ("with"). 257
- A monosemic view of polysemic prepositions 273
- The development of Classical Armenian prepositions and its implications for universals of language change 289
- Author index 301
- Languages index 303
- Subject index 305
