Startseite A Corpus-based Study of Transfers in English Nominal Groups
Artikel
Lizenziert
Nicht lizenziert Erfordert eine Authentifizierung

A Corpus-based Study of Transfers in English Nominal Groups

  • Qingshun He EMAIL logo
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 18. Februar 2020
Veröffentlichen auch Sie bei De Gruyter Brill

Abstract

This article investigates the possibility to form determiner complexes in English nominal groups and the potential of leftward transfer of functional elements in nominal groups. The research finds that it is not possible to form hypotactic determiner complexes; rather there are hypotactic numeral complexes, hypotactic Epithet adjective complexes, hypotactic Classifier noun complexes and hypotactic Thing noun complexes, and the words for all the slots have the potential to form paratactic complexes. The corpus-based research confirms the potential of leftward transfer in nominal groups. Thereby, four types of shifts were identified: the shift from the Thing noun to the Classifier noun or adjective is a process of metaphorization from the group rank to the word rank; (2) the shift from the Classifier adjective to the Epithet2 adjective is a process of subjectification from the distinctive to the nondistinctive features of the Thing noun within the domain of ideational metafunction; (3) the shift from the Epithet2 adjective to the Epithet1 adjective is a process of subjectification from the domain of ideational metafunction to that of interpersonal metafunction; (4) the shift from the Epithet1 adjective to the post-Deictic adjective is a process of grammaticalization from the open-set attitude adjectives to the closed-set attitude adjectives.

Funding statement: This research is supported by China National Social Science Fund (17BYY185).

References

Aarts, B. 2004. Modelling linguistic gradience. Studies in Language 28(1). 1–49.10.1075/sl.28.1.02aarSuche in Google Scholar

Aarts, B. 2007. In defence of distributional analysis, pace Croft. Studies in Language 31(2). 431–443.10.1075/sl.31.2.06aarSuche in Google Scholar

Adamson, S. 2000. A lovely little example: word order options and category shift in the premodifying string. In O. Fischer, A. Rosenbach & D. Stein (eds.), Pathways of change: Grammaticalization in English, 39–66. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins.10.1075/slcs.53.04adaSuche in Google Scholar

Andersen, H. 2001. Actualization and the (uni)directionality. In H. Andersen (ed.), Actualization: Linguistic change in progress [Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 219], 225–248. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.10.1075/cilt.219.11andSuche in Google Scholar

Benveniste, E. 1971. Subjectivity in language. In M. E. Meek (ed.), Problems in general linguistics, 223–230. Coral Gables, FL: University of Miami Press.Suche in Google Scholar

Breban, T. 2002. Adjectives of comparison: Postdeterminer, epithet and classifier uses. MA dissertation, University of Leuven.Suche in Google Scholar

Breban, T. 2010. Is there a postdeterminer in the English noun phrase? Transactions of the Philological Society 108(3). 248–264.10.1111/j.1467-968X.2010.01243.xSuche in Google Scholar

Crystal, D. 1967. English. Lingua 17(1). 24–56.10.1016/0024-3841(66)90003-9Suche in Google Scholar

Davidse, K., T. Breban & A. Vanlinden. 2008. The development of secondary deictic meanings by adjectives in the English NP. English Language and Linguistics 12(3). 475–503.10.1017/S1360674308002724Suche in Google Scholar

Davies, M. 2014. Making Google Books n-grams useful for a wide range of research on language change. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics 19(3). 401–416.10.1075/ijcl.19.3.04davSuche in Google Scholar

Denison, D. 2006. Category change and gradience in the determiner system. In A. van Kemenade & B. Los (eds.), The handbook of the history of English, 279–304. Oxford: Blackwell.10.1002/9780470757048.ch12Suche in Google Scholar

Dixon, R. 1982. Where have all the adjectives gone? Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.10.1515/9783110822939Suche in Google Scholar

Finegan, E. 1995. Subjectivity and subjectivisation: An introduction. In D. Stein & S. Wright (eds.), Subjectivity and subjectivisation, 1–15. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9780511554469.001Suche in Google Scholar

Halliday, M. A. K. 1977. Text as semantic choice in social context. In T. A. van Dyck & J. Petofi (eds.), Grammars and Descriptions, 176–225. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter.10.1515/9783110839609-009Suche in Google Scholar

Halliday, M. A. K. 1978. Language as social semiotic: The social interpretation of language and meaning. London: Edward Arnold.Suche in Google Scholar

Halliday, M. A. K. 1985. An introduction to functional grammar. London: Edward Arnold.Suche in Google Scholar

Halliday, M. A. K. 1994. An introduction to functional grammar (2nd edition). London: Edward Arnold.Suche in Google Scholar

Halliday, M. A. K., & Matthiessen, C. M. I. M. 1999. Construing experience through meaning: A language-based approach to cognition. London/New York: Cassell.Suche in Google Scholar

Halliday, M. A. K. & C. M. I. M. Matthiessen. 2004. An introduction to functional grammar (3rd edition). London: Edward Arnold.Suche in Google Scholar

Halliday, M. A. K. & C. M. I. M. Matthiessen. 2014. An introduction to functional grammar (4th edition). London/New York: Routledge.10.4324/9780203783771Suche in Google Scholar

He, Q. 2013. Rank-shift directions and representations of grammatical metaphor. Journal of China University of Mining & Technology (Social Science) 15(1). 132–136.Suche in Google Scholar

He, Q. & B. Yang. 2014. A study of transfer directions in grammatical metaphor. Australian Journal of Linguistics 34(3). 345–360.10.1080/07268602.2014.898226Suche in Google Scholar

He, Q. & B. Yang. 2018. A corpus-based study of the correlation between text technicality and ideational metaphor in English. Lingua 203. 51–65.10.1016/j.lingua.2017.10.005Suche in Google Scholar

Huddleston, R., & G. K. Pullum. 2002. The Cambridge grammar of the English language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/9781316423530Suche in Google Scholar

Long, R. B. 1961. The sentence and its parts. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Suche in Google Scholar

Lyons, J. 1977. Semantics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Suche in Google Scholar

Lyons, J. 1982. Deixis and subjectivity: Loquor, ergo sum? In R. J. Jarvella, & W. Klein (eds.), Speech, place, and action: Studies in deixis and related topics, 101–124. Chichester/New York: John Wiley.Suche in Google Scholar

Martin, J. R., & P. R. White. 2005. The language of evaluation: Appraisal in English. London/New York: Palgrave Macmillan.10.1057/9780230511910Suche in Google Scholar

Matthiessen, C. M. I. M., & M. A. K Haliday. 1997. Systemic functional grammar: A first step into the theory. Sydney: Macquarie University Press.Suche in Google Scholar

Quirk, R., S. Greenbaum, G. Leech & J. Svartvik. 1985. A comprehensive grammar of the English language. London/New York: Longman.Suche in Google Scholar

Swan, T. 1988. Sentence adverbials in English: A synchronic and diachronic investigation. Oslo: Novus.Suche in Google Scholar

Tabor, W., & E. C. Traugott. 1998. Structural scope expansion and grammaticalization. In A. G. Ramat & P. J. Hopper (eds.), The limits of grammaticalization, 229–272. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.10.1075/tsl.37.11tabSuche in Google Scholar

Traugott, E. C. 1982. From propositional to textual and expressive meanings: Some semantic-pragmatic aspects of grammaticalization. In W. P. Lehmann & Y. Malkiel (eds.), Perspectives on historical linguistics, 245–271. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.10.1075/cilt.24.09cloSuche in Google Scholar

Traugott, E. C. 1995. Subjectification in grammaticalization. In D. Stein & S. Wright (eds.), Subjectivity and subjectivisation: Linguistic perspectives, 31–54. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9780511554469.003Suche in Google Scholar

Tucker, G. H. 1998. The lexicogrammar of adjectives: A systemic functional approach to lexis. London: Cassell.Suche in Google Scholar

Van de Velde, F. 2009. Do we need the category of postdeterminer in the np? Transactions of the philological society 107(3). 293–321.10.1111/j.1467-968X.2009.01224.xSuche in Google Scholar

Van de Velde, F. 2011. Left-peripheral expansion of the English NP. English Language and Linguistics 15(2). 387–415.10.1017/S1360674311000086Suche in Google Scholar

Whorf, B. L. 1956. Grammatical categories. In J. B. Carroll (ed.), Language, thought and reality: Selected writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf, 87–101. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.Suche in Google Scholar

Wulff, S. 2003. A multifactorial corpus analysis of adjective order in English. International Journal of corpus Linguistics 8(2). 245–282.10.1075/ijcl.8.2.04wulSuche in Google Scholar

Wulff, S. & S. Th. Gries. 2015. Prenominal adjective order preferences in Chinese and German L2 English. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism 5(1). 122–150.10.1075/lab.5.1.05wulSuche in Google Scholar

Published Online: 2020-02-18
Published in Print: 2020-02-25

© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Heruntergeladen am 30.9.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/glot-2019-0003/html?lang=de
Button zum nach oben scrollen