Amharic 'eat' and 'drink' verbs
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John Newman
Abstract
‘Eat’ and ‘drink’ verbs in Amharic (Semitic) have a number of interesting linguistic properties. The basic morphosyntactic properties of these verbs in Amharic are reviewed, including the unusual patterning of these verbs in causative constructions, as remarked upon by Amberber (this volume) and others. Figurative extensions of the two verbs are prolific and an attempt is made to give a coherent account of these extensions drawing upon ideas from Newman’s (1997) account of the English eat and drink extensions. In particular, it proves useful to distinguish figurative extensions based on the sensation of the consumer from figurative extensions based on the image of destruction or disappearance of the consumed entity. These two separate aspects of ingestive acts inform both the account of the figurative extensions of Amharic ‘eat’ and ‘drink’ as well as the morphosyntax associated with these verbs.
Abstract
‘Eat’ and ‘drink’ verbs in Amharic (Semitic) have a number of interesting linguistic properties. The basic morphosyntactic properties of these verbs in Amharic are reviewed, including the unusual patterning of these verbs in causative constructions, as remarked upon by Amberber (this volume) and others. Figurative extensions of the two verbs are prolific and an attempt is made to give a coherent account of these extensions drawing upon ideas from Newman’s (1997) account of the English eat and drink extensions. In particular, it proves useful to distinguish figurative extensions based on the sensation of the consumer from figurative extensions based on the image of destruction or disappearance of the consumed entity. These two separate aspects of ingestive acts inform both the account of the figurative extensions of Amharic ‘eat’ and ‘drink’ as well as the morphosyntax associated with these verbs.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- A cross-linguistic overview of 'eat' and 'drink' 1
- How transitive are 'eat' and 'drink' verbs? 27
- Quirky alternations of transitivity: The case of ingestive predicates 45
- All people eat and drink. Does this mean that 'eat' and 'drink' are universal human concepts? 65
- 'Eating', 'drinking' and 'smoking': A generic verb and its semantics in Manambu 91
- Athapaskan eating and drinking verbs and constructions 109
- The semantic evolution of 'eat'-expressions: Ways and byways 153
- Literal and figurative uses of Japanese 'eat' and 'drink' 173
- What (not) to eat or drink: Metaphor and metonymy of eating and drinking in Korean 195
- Metaphorical extensions of 'eat' --> [OVERCOME] and 'drink' --> [UNDERGO] in Hausa 229
- Amharic 'eat' and 'drink' verbs 253
- Author index 273
- Language index 277
- Subject index 279
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- A cross-linguistic overview of 'eat' and 'drink' 1
- How transitive are 'eat' and 'drink' verbs? 27
- Quirky alternations of transitivity: The case of ingestive predicates 45
- All people eat and drink. Does this mean that 'eat' and 'drink' are universal human concepts? 65
- 'Eating', 'drinking' and 'smoking': A generic verb and its semantics in Manambu 91
- Athapaskan eating and drinking verbs and constructions 109
- The semantic evolution of 'eat'-expressions: Ways and byways 153
- Literal and figurative uses of Japanese 'eat' and 'drink' 173
- What (not) to eat or drink: Metaphor and metonymy of eating and drinking in Korean 195
- Metaphorical extensions of 'eat' --> [OVERCOME] and 'drink' --> [UNDERGO] in Hausa 229
- Amharic 'eat' and 'drink' verbs 253
- Author index 273
- Language index 277
- Subject index 279
