On Spanish prepositional prefixes and the cartography of prepositions
Despite its potential appeal, the possibility of analyzing prefixes as prepositions (and thus as syntactic objects) faces several problems related with selection, headedness and semantic isomorphism. In this article, I try to understand and solve these problems. I focus on prefixed nouns, and more s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Catalan |
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Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
2010-12-01
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| Series: | Catalan Journal of Linguistics |
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| Online Access: | https://revistes.uab.cat/catJL/article/view/94 |
| _version_ | 1818430162033704960 |
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| author | Antonio Fábregas |
| author_facet | Antonio Fábregas |
| author_sort | Antonio Fábregas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite its potential appeal, the possibility of analyzing prefixes as prepositions (and thus as syntactic objects) faces several problems related with selection, headedness and semantic isomorphism. In this article, I try to understand and solve these problems. I focus on prefixed nouns, and more specifically on the fact that some of them have their bases interpreted as grounds (precoma, ‘something before a coma’), while others have them interpreted as figures (pre-cognition, ‘cognition before something’). I will propose that in the structures where the base can be interpreted as figure or ground the prefix is a very low prepositional modifier of the noun and the two readings depend on the interpretation of a pronominal category introduced by the preposition. This configuration is forced by the absence of a functional category from the preposition’s structure; when independent conditions force this functional category to be present, the figure reading is impossible and the prefix behaves as a preposition. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:29:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4c711e17b2154573853ebc23b91595ec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1695-6885 2014-9719 |
| language | Catalan |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:29:01Z |
| publishDate | 2010-12-01 |
| publisher | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Catalan Journal of Linguistics |
| spelling | doaj.art-4c711e17b2154573853ebc23b91595ec2022-12-21T22:55:57ZcatUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaCatalan Journal of Linguistics1695-68852014-97192010-12-019110.5565/rev/catjl.9480On Spanish prepositional prefixes and the cartography of prepositionsAntonio FábregasDespite its potential appeal, the possibility of analyzing prefixes as prepositions (and thus as syntactic objects) faces several problems related with selection, headedness and semantic isomorphism. In this article, I try to understand and solve these problems. I focus on prefixed nouns, and more specifically on the fact that some of them have their bases interpreted as grounds (precoma, ‘something before a coma’), while others have them interpreted as figures (pre-cognition, ‘cognition before something’). I will propose that in the structures where the base can be interpreted as figure or ground the prefix is a very low prepositional modifier of the noun and the two readings depend on the interpretation of a pronominal category introduced by the preposition. This configuration is forced by the absence of a functional category from the preposition’s structure; when independent conditions force this functional category to be present, the figure reading is impossible and the prefix behaves as a preposition.https://revistes.uab.cat/catJL/article/view/94Prefixprepositionfigure and groundselectionsyntactic analysis of words |
| spellingShingle | Antonio Fábregas On Spanish prepositional prefixes and the cartography of prepositions Catalan Journal of Linguistics Prefix preposition figure and ground selection syntactic analysis of words |
| title | On Spanish prepositional prefixes and the cartography of prepositions |
| title_full | On Spanish prepositional prefixes and the cartography of prepositions |
| title_fullStr | On Spanish prepositional prefixes and the cartography of prepositions |
| title_full_unstemmed | On Spanish prepositional prefixes and the cartography of prepositions |
| title_short | On Spanish prepositional prefixes and the cartography of prepositions |
| title_sort | on spanish prepositional prefixes and the cartography of prepositions |
| topic | Prefix preposition figure and ground selection syntactic analysis of words |
| url | https://revistes.uab.cat/catJL/article/view/94 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT antoniofabregas onspanishprepositionalprefixesandthecartographyofprepositions |