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Polysemy and productivity in German
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Carmen Scherer
Published/Copyright:
March 7, 2011
Abstract
In this paper, agent polysemy in German will be discussed in the framework of lexical semantics as outlined in Lieber (2004). I will show that Lieber’s explanation of agent polysemy works fine for German ‑er derivation as far as agent, instrument and patient nouns are concerned. It also helps us to understand differences in frequency and productivity of the different semantic groups. However, I will argue that Lieber’s framework is not yet elaborate enough to account for German event derivatives such as Hüpfer ‘hop’.
Published Online: 2011-03-07
Published in Print: 2011-03
© by Akademie Verlag, Mainz, Germany
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Articles in the same Issue
- Introduction
- The agent-instrument-place “polysemy” of the suffix ‑tor in Romance
- The polysemy of the German suffix ‑er: aspects of its origin and development
- Polysemy and productivity in German
- The polysemy of agent nouns: diachronic, synchronic and contrastive evidence from French and Swedish
- Agent noun polysemy in Celtic: the suffix *‑mon‑ in Old and Middle Irish and its Proto-Indo-European origins
- Agent-noun polysemy in Slavic: some examples
Articles in the same Issue
- Introduction
- The agent-instrument-place “polysemy” of the suffix ‑tor in Romance
- The polysemy of the German suffix ‑er: aspects of its origin and development
- Polysemy and productivity in German
- The polysemy of agent nouns: diachronic, synchronic and contrastive evidence from French and Swedish
- Agent noun polysemy in Celtic: the suffix *‑mon‑ in Old and Middle Irish and its Proto-Indo-European origins
- Agent-noun polysemy in Slavic: some examples
