Creating Surprise in Complex Predication
In many languages, the verbs take and go may combine with another predicate to yield an inceptive reading, where the onset of the event denoted by the main predicate is in some sense focalized. Some of these cases have a touch of surprise, unexpectedness, or suddenness to them. Using data mainly fro...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Septentrio Academic Publishing
2008-12-01
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| Series: | Nordlyd: Tromsø University Working Papers on Language & Linguistics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/nordlyd/article/view/141 |
| _version_ | 1819087029603926016 |
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| author | Anna-Lena Wiklund |
| author_facet | Anna-Lena Wiklund |
| author_sort | Anna-Lena Wiklund |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In many languages, the verbs take and go may combine with another predicate to yield an inceptive reading, where the onset of the event denoted by the main predicate is in some sense focalized. Some of these cases have a touch of surprise, unexpectedness, or suddenness to them. Using data mainly from Swedish, this paper seeks to identify the components that are responsible for this surprise reading. It is argued that surprise in the relevant constructions is derivable from a combination of three factors: (i) the particular event structure(s) associated with the predicates involved, (ii) choice of lexicalization of this structure, and (iii) pragmatic inferences about the particular event involved. The data presented in this paper offer support for Ramchand’s (2008) treatment of light verbs in terms of underassociation of lexical category features and constraints thereon. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T21:29:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-468e1bcbb81b415da529e05ae714ef59 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1503-8599 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T21:29:39Z |
| publishDate | 2008-12-01 |
| publisher | Septentrio Academic Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nordlyd: Tromsø University Working Papers on Language & Linguistics |
| spelling | doaj.art-468e1bcbb81b415da529e05ae714ef592022-12-21T18:49:39ZengSeptentrio Academic PublishingNordlyd: Tromsø University Working Papers on Language & Linguistics1503-85992008-12-0135110.7557/12.141125Creating Surprise in Complex PredicationAnna-Lena Wiklund0CASTL, University of TromsøIn many languages, the verbs take and go may combine with another predicate to yield an inceptive reading, where the onset of the event denoted by the main predicate is in some sense focalized. Some of these cases have a touch of surprise, unexpectedness, or suddenness to them. Using data mainly from Swedish, this paper seeks to identify the components that are responsible for this surprise reading. It is argued that surprise in the relevant constructions is derivable from a combination of three factors: (i) the particular event structure(s) associated with the predicates involved, (ii) choice of lexicalization of this structure, and (iii) pragmatic inferences about the particular event involved. The data presented in this paper offer support for Ramchand’s (2008) treatment of light verbs in terms of underassociation of lexical category features and constraints thereon.https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/nordlyd/article/view/141aspectcomplex predicateinceptivelight verbsurprise reading |
| spellingShingle | Anna-Lena Wiklund Creating Surprise in Complex Predication Nordlyd: Tromsø University Working Papers on Language & Linguistics aspect complex predicate inceptive light verb surprise reading |
| title | Creating Surprise in Complex Predication |
| title_full | Creating Surprise in Complex Predication |
| title_fullStr | Creating Surprise in Complex Predication |
| title_full_unstemmed | Creating Surprise in Complex Predication |
| title_short | Creating Surprise in Complex Predication |
| title_sort | creating surprise in complex predication |
| topic | aspect complex predicate inceptive light verb surprise reading |
| url | https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/nordlyd/article/view/141 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT annalenawiklund creatingsurpriseincomplexpredication |