The expression of knowledge in Latin: cognosco, nosco, scio, nescio and ignoro
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Esperanza Torrego
Abstract
This paper aims to shed more light on certain classical problems regarding the meaning and use of the main verbs of knowledge in Latin: noscocognosco, scio and their negative counterparts nescio and ignoro. Using a corpus of ca. 2000 examples, we aim to identify tendencies that will, in turn, help us to explain the different readings that the verbs may receive, paying particular attention to argument and event structure. With regards to argument structure, we find more interesting features in the nominal complements, which are the less prototypical collocations. The lexical properties of nominal Objects uncover a difference between nosco-cognosco in terms of mental cognition (cognosco) and cognition by perception (nosco). This difference is also evident if we look at compatibility with Adjuncts of Source and Location in complementary distribution. As for scio, our analysis of nominal Objects shows how nouns accommodate their lexical features to the requirements of the verb. With event structure, this paper shows that the verbs studied have different event structures, given that the different readings of their perfect tenses are explained through the focus on different phases of knowledge acquisition. When it comes to negative knowledge, on the other hand, through an analysis of complementation, we identify what kind of knowledge the verbs with incorporated negation express (mental cognition, not cognition by perception). Secondly, we look at the two procedures for negating knowledge (syntactical and lexical) and note that there are very few cases in which they are fully interchangeable.
Abstract
This paper aims to shed more light on certain classical problems regarding the meaning and use of the main verbs of knowledge in Latin: noscocognosco, scio and their negative counterparts nescio and ignoro. Using a corpus of ca. 2000 examples, we aim to identify tendencies that will, in turn, help us to explain the different readings that the verbs may receive, paying particular attention to argument and event structure. With regards to argument structure, we find more interesting features in the nominal complements, which are the less prototypical collocations. The lexical properties of nominal Objects uncover a difference between nosco-cognosco in terms of mental cognition (cognosco) and cognition by perception (nosco). This difference is also evident if we look at compatibility with Adjuncts of Source and Location in complementary distribution. As for scio, our analysis of nominal Objects shows how nouns accommodate their lexical features to the requirements of the verb. With event structure, this paper shows that the verbs studied have different event structures, given that the different readings of their perfect tenses are explained through the focus on different phases of knowledge acquisition. When it comes to negative knowledge, on the other hand, through an analysis of complementation, we identify what kind of knowledge the verbs with incorporated negation express (mental cognition, not cognition by perception). Secondly, we look at the two procedures for negating knowledge (syntactical and lexical) and note that there are very few cases in which they are fully interchangeable.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents VII
-
Clause
-
Constructions
- Linguistic theory in daily lexicographical practice: dealing with arguments and satellites in the entries of regnare and nectere in the Thesaurus Linguae Latinae 1
- The expression of knowledge in Latin: cognosco, nosco, scio, nescio and ignoro 20
- Los verbos latinos timeo y metuo: sintaxis, semántica y pragmática 48
- Potest + passive infinitives: auxiliary or impersonal verb? 67
- Ruinam dare : les complexités d’une construction latine à verbe support 79
- On the use of the ablative of the gerund and the nominative of the present participle in Latin technical literature 96
- Praedicativum and subject complement: a question revisited in light of the Latin verb sto 116
- Der lateinische Dativ: neue Wege in Transitivität und funktionaler Semantik 134
- Between syntax and magic: some peculiarities of nominal syntax in Latin curse tablets 155
- Les complétives en quoniam : étude à partir du latin biblique 174
-
Semantics
- Animacy in Latin: explaining some peripheral phenomena 199
- Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres: Sapir’s typology and different perspectives on totality 219
- General extenders in Latin 241
- Les parcours sémantiques vers l’adversatif : une approche typologique des langues anciennes 259
- The diffraction of iam: contextual effects in interpretation 280
- Le système latin de la déixis et de l’endophore : l’évolution linguistique chez Sénèque 296
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Discourse
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Tense and discourse
- On the expression of relative time in Latin narrations 319
- Progression thématique et types de séquences chez quelques historiens romains 339
- Engaging the audience: an intersubjectivity approach to the historic present tense in Latin 351
- ‘I hereby present the use of the Latin first-person perfect indicative as a performative’ 374
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Politeness and identity
- Expressing happiness as a manifestation of positive politeness in Roman comedy 393
- Impoliteness in Plautus’ comedies 413
- How to assess politeness in response to impoliteness: some examples from Latin comedy 431
- Cicero vs. Mark Antony: identity construction and ingroup/outgroup formation in Philippics One and Three 448
- Ego sum Amphitruo: Selbstidentifikation in der römischen Komödie 464
- Index 479
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents VII
-
Clause
-
Constructions
- Linguistic theory in daily lexicographical practice: dealing with arguments and satellites in the entries of regnare and nectere in the Thesaurus Linguae Latinae 1
- The expression of knowledge in Latin: cognosco, nosco, scio, nescio and ignoro 20
- Los verbos latinos timeo y metuo: sintaxis, semántica y pragmática 48
- Potest + passive infinitives: auxiliary or impersonal verb? 67
- Ruinam dare : les complexités d’une construction latine à verbe support 79
- On the use of the ablative of the gerund and the nominative of the present participle in Latin technical literature 96
- Praedicativum and subject complement: a question revisited in light of the Latin verb sto 116
- Der lateinische Dativ: neue Wege in Transitivität und funktionaler Semantik 134
- Between syntax and magic: some peculiarities of nominal syntax in Latin curse tablets 155
- Les complétives en quoniam : étude à partir du latin biblique 174
-
Semantics
- Animacy in Latin: explaining some peripheral phenomena 199
- Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres: Sapir’s typology and different perspectives on totality 219
- General extenders in Latin 241
- Les parcours sémantiques vers l’adversatif : une approche typologique des langues anciennes 259
- The diffraction of iam: contextual effects in interpretation 280
- Le système latin de la déixis et de l’endophore : l’évolution linguistique chez Sénèque 296
-
Discourse
-
Tense and discourse
- On the expression of relative time in Latin narrations 319
- Progression thématique et types de séquences chez quelques historiens romains 339
- Engaging the audience: an intersubjectivity approach to the historic present tense in Latin 351
- ‘I hereby present the use of the Latin first-person perfect indicative as a performative’ 374
-
Politeness and identity
- Expressing happiness as a manifestation of positive politeness in Roman comedy 393
- Impoliteness in Plautus’ comedies 413
- How to assess politeness in response to impoliteness: some examples from Latin comedy 431
- Cicero vs. Mark Antony: identity construction and ingroup/outgroup formation in Philippics One and Three 448
- Ego sum Amphitruo: Selbstidentifikation in der römischen Komödie 464
- Index 479
