The Semantics of German Verb Prefixes

298 Pages·2015·2.176 MB·English

by  Robert B. Dewell

he Semantics of German Verb Preixes
Human Cognitive Processing (HCP)
Cognitive Foundations of Language Structure and Use
his book series is a forum for interdisciplinary research on the grammatical struc-
ture, semantic organization, and communicative function of language(s), and their
anchoring in human cognitive faculties.
For an overview of all books published in this series, please see
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Editors
Klaus-Uwe Panther Linda L. hornburg
Nanjing Normal University Nanjing Normal University
& University of Hamburg
Editorial Board
Bogusław Bierwiaczonek Elżbieta Górska
Jan Dlugosz University, Czestochowa, Poland / University of Warsaw
Higher School of Labour Safety Management, Martin Hilpert
Katowice
University of Neuchâtel
Mario Brdar
Zoltán Kövecses
Josip Juraj Strossmayer University, Croatia
Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
Barbara Dancygier
Teenie Matlock
University of British Columbia
University of California at Merced
N.J. Enield
Carita Paradis
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics,
Lund University
Nijmegen & Radboud University Nijmegen
Günter Radden
Elisabeth Engberg-Pedersen
University of Hamburg
University of Copenhagen
Francisco José Ruiz de Mendoza Ibáñez
Ad Foolen
University of La Rioja
Radboud University Nijmegen
Doris Schönefeld
Raymond W. Gibbs, Jr.
University of Leipzig
University of California at Santa Cruz
Debra Ziegeler
Rachel Giora
University of Paris III
Tel Aviv University
Volume 49
he Semantics of German Verb Preixes
by Robert B. Dewell
he Semantics of
German Verb Preixes
Robert B. Dewell
Loyola University New Orleans
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Amsterdam / Philadelphia
TM he paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
8
the American National Standard for Information Sciences – Permanence
of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ansi z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dewell, Robert B.
he Semantics of German Verb Preixes / Robert B. Dewell.
p. cm. (Human Cognitive Processing, issn 1387-6724 ; v. 49)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. German language--Verb. 2. German language--Suixes and preixes. 3. German
language--Word formation. 4. German language--Semantics. I. Title.
PF3318.D49 2015
435’.6--dc23 2014035752
isbn 978 90 272 4665 3 (Hb ; alk. paper)
isbn 978 90 272 6912 6 (Eb)
© 2015 – John Benjamins B.V.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microilm, or any
other means, without written permission from the publisher.
John Benjamins Publishing Co. · P.O. Box 36224 · 1020 me Amsterdam · he Netherlands
John Benjamins North America · P.O. Box 27519 · Philadelphia pa 19118-0519 · usa
Table of contents
List of igures xi
List of tables xii
Preface xiii
introduction 1
1. he starting point 2
2. he kinds of ‘meaning’ to look for 6
3. Organization of the book 8
4. Sources of evidence 9
chapter 1
Route-path preixes and basic concepts 11
1. he objective meanings 12
1.1 Über and unter 13
1.2 Durch 15
1.3 Um 16
2. Extending objects, ictive motion, and meanings as dynamic patterns 16
3. he meaning of the preixed verb construction itself 18
3.1 Synoptic vs sequential construals 19
3.2 Schematic meanings in grammatical constructions 22
4. Types with route-path preixes 25
4.1 Holistic paths 25
4.1.1 Geometric images 25
4.1.2 Focal obstacles 27
4.1.3 Summary of holistic paths 28
4.2 Multi-directional paths 28
4.2.1 Multiplexes and masses 32
4.2.2 Multi-directional paths as uniquely synoptic 33
4.3 Summary of basic characteristics 34
4.4 Accusative LMs 36
4.5 Über- and unter- verbs with an implicit LM 39
vi he Semantics of German Verb Preixes
5. Direct contrasts 41
5.1 Überführen vs Überführen 42
5.2 Durchschneiden vs DUrchschneiden 44
6. Summary 48
chapter 2
Be- 53
1. Core meaning 53
1.1 he schematic image 56
1.2 Comparing German and English 58
2. be- verbs and transitivity 59
2.1 be- verbs that transitivize 61
2.2 Applicative constructions and the “locative alternation” 64
3. Direct contrasts with unpreixed transitive constructions 66
3.1 Direct contrasts with unpreixed goal-object verbs 67
3.2 Direct contrasts with other unpreixed verbs 70
3.2.1 Sustain an activity 70
3.2.2 More complex activities 71
3.2.3 Accusative LM vs accusative FG 73
3.2.4 Special notice: merken vs. bemerken 77
3.3 Bare denominals vs denominal be- verbs 82
3.3.1 Sustained processes 83
3.3.2 Untransformed LMs 84
3.3.3 Uncompleted events 87
3.3.4 Marking the construction as denominal 88
3.4 Deadjectival verbs 88
3.5 Summary: he semantic contribution of be- 91
4. Stylistic tendencies 92
4.1 Register 92
4.2 Past participles 93
4.3 Marking complex denominal base verbs 94
5. he irrelevance of themes 94
5.1 hemes and instruments 96
5.2 be- verbs with no theme 98
6. Frequencies 99
chapter 3
Ent- 101
1. Schematic meaning 101
1.1 Privative ent- 102
1.2 Separation by a focal theme 105
1.3 he shared underlying pattern 107
Table of contents vii
2. Contrasts with unpreixed verbs 109
2.1 Simple verbs 109
2.2 Particle verbs with ab- and aus- 110
2.3 Particle verbs with an- 113
3. Issues with ent- verbs 114
3.1 ‘Reversative’ ent- 114
3.2 ‘Inchoative’ ent-? 117
3.3 “Illogical” deadjectival privatives with resulting state 119
3.4 Privative divesting vs separating with a focal theme 121
3.4.1 From ‘divesting of’ to ‘separating from’ 121
3.4.2 Von-PPs vs genitive 123
3.4.3 English of/from alternations 124
4. Frequencies 125
chapter 4
Er- 127
1. Schematic meaning 127
1.1 he focal nouns 130
1.2 Aspectual implications 132
1.3 er- verbs as stylistically marked 133
1.4 English counterparts to er- 133
2. ‘Attaining’ er- verbs vs unpreixed verbs 135
2.1 Alternating er- verbs and simple verbs 135
2.2 Directly contrasting er- verbs and simple verbs 140
2.3 er- vs aus- 143
3. Contrasts with ‘emerging’ er- verbs 145
3.1 ‘Emerging’ er- verbs vs simple base verbs 148
3.2 er- vs auf- 149
3.2.1 Intransitive onset 150
3.2.2 Caused onset 152
3.3 er- verbs vs werden/machen with adjective 154
4. Summary of contrasts 158
5. Grammatical issues 158
5.1 Types of base verb 158
5.2 Transitivity 160
6. Frequencies 162
chapter 5
Zer- 165
1. Schematic image 167
2. Grammatical constructions 169
3. Specifying the result 171
viii he Semantics of German Verb Preixes
4. Breaking in two 172
5. Zer- vs simple verbs 173
6. Zer- verbs vs particle verbs 174
7. Frequencies 175
chapter 6
Ver- 177
1. he diiculties 177
2. he schematic image 180
3. Speciic variants 183
3.1 Be displaced 183
3.2 Be closed of from access 185
3.3 Lose independence 185
3.4 Become altered 187
3.5 Be ruined 188
3.6 Deviate from a course 189
3.7 Summary 190
4. Grammatical characteristics 191
4.1 Grammatical types 191
4.2 Aspectual issues 192
5. Ver- verbs vs simple verbs 193
5.1 ‘Altering’ contrasts 194
5.1.1 Verändern vs ändern 194
5.1.2 Verfälschen, verärgern 199
5.1.3 Verkürzen 201
5.1.4 Verbessern 202
5.1.5 ‘Altering’ summary 203
5.2 Ver- verbs vs simple activity verbs 203
5.2.1 Merging and submerging 203
5.2.2 Preventing 208
5.2.3 Initiating a path 212
5.3 Summary: Contrasting ver- verbs and simple verbs 215
6. Contrast with verb particles 216
6.1 Ver- vs ab- 217
6.2 Ver- vs aus- 219
7. Locational PPs vs goal PPs 220
7.1 Normal synoptic displacement 220
7.2 Inward-directed paths 222
7.3 Directed distribution 225
8. Frequencies 226
Table of contents ix
chapter 7
he system of preixes 229
1. Ver- vs ent- 229
1.1 Near antonyms 230
1.2 Near synonyms 231
1.2.1 Verschwinden vs entschwinden 231
1.2.2 ent- and overcoming resistance 234
2. Ver- vs er- 236
2.1 Near antonyms 236
2.2 Near synonyms: ‘Altering’ (ver-) vs ‘emerging’ (er-) 237
2.2.1 Losses and gains? 239
2.2.2 Emerging from within (er-) vs being altered (ver-) 241
2.3 Other near synonyms 247
2.3.1 Dying 247
2.3.2 Vertragen vs ertragen 249
2.4 Summary of ver- vs er- 250
3. Ver- vs be- 250
4. Ver- vs zer- 252
5. be- vs route-path preixes 254
6. be- vs ent- 256
6.1 Antonyms 256
6.2 ent- verbs vs berauben 257
7. be- vs er- 258
8. ent- vs er- 259
8.1 Near antonyms 259
8.2 ‘Originating’ vs ‘emerging’ 260
9. he system of verb preixes 261
9.1 he synoptic construal pattern 262
9.2 he semantic FGs (the verb events) 263
9.3 he semantic LMs (the synoptic settings) 264
9.4 Gains and losses 264
9.5 Grammatical patterns 265
9.5.1 Noun roles 265
9.5.2 Base verbs 267
9.5.3 Aspectual implications 268
9.6 Summary 269
10. heoretical implications 269
References 273
Index of subjects and names 277
Index of verbs, preixes and particles 279