The kono … noni construction: A semantic, syntactic and pragmatic analysis
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Harumi Minagawa
Abstract
This study examines the kono … noni construction from semantic, syntactic and pragmatic dimensions. It suggests that this construction as a whole expresses a concessive meaning of an unexpected event happening in a temporary and generally perceived adverse situation which the speaker is currently in. It proposes common semantic characteristics of the adjectives that are allowed to occur in this construction, clarifies the function of the proximal demonstrative kono, which expresses a sense of personal connection to an event, and shows the compositional nature of noni, in which no denotes a duration within this construction. It also suggests that speaker disapproval is strongly associated with the construction, while such meaning is not inherent in the construction itself.
© 2017 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston
