The analysis shows that while behind and beneath are still frequently used as adverbs in the whole Middle English period, between and betwixt are predominantly used as prepositions already in Early Middle English. This clearly demonstrates that the degree of grammaticalisation of the latter two Middle English words was much higher than that of behind and beneath.
The subject matter of this article is the adverb mimowolnie, which I compare with such expressions as mimo woli and odruchowo. However the aim of the discussion is to establish the semantic difference between these adverbs. In the article, I attempt to justify the hypothesis that the semantic relation between them is similar to the one noticed by A. Wierzbicka, in her work from 1969, where she ephasizes the non-identicaliyu of subjects in such sentences as Adam waży 70kg. and Adam jest dobry. (Wirzbicka 1969: 62, 63). In order to prove the hypothesis proposed, I demonstrate the semantic restrictions imposed by the lexical unit mimowolnie on verbs (e.g. perceptual verbs), and then I try to explain what they stem from. At the end of the article, I put forward the thesis that the adverb mimowolnie contains, in its semantic structure, an explicitly specified object of activity, which is one's own body and that it designates the agent's attitude toward his or her body that is performing the given activity.
The present paper traces the history of four selected adverbs with the prefix be- in Middle English. Already in Old English behind, beneath, between and betwixt are attested to function as both adverbs and prepositions, which demonstrates that the process of grammaticalisation accounting for the development of prepositions from adverbs started before that period. The focus of the study are the diachronic changes of the degree of grammaticalisation of the examined lexemes in the Middle English period as demonstrated by the ratio of their use with a respective function in the most natural context. Hence, specially selected Middle English prose texts are analysed. The analysis shows that while behind and beneath are still frequently used as adverbs in the whole Middle English period, between and betwixt are predominantly used as prepositions already in Early Middle English. This clearly demonstrates that the degree of grammaticalisation of the latter two Middle English words was much higher than that of behind and beneath.
The aim of this paper is to point to word order as a property differentiating linguistic entities in the class of metacommentaries. This property was not recognised in earlier analyses of quasi-participial structures with adverbs. As a result of the analyses, two arrangements have been distinguished, i.e. [Adv] mówiąc ([Adv] speaking) and mówiąc [Adv] (speaking [Adv]), which – along with linear and prosodic features – differ in terms of the following properties: a) syntactic and semantic, i.e. the set and form of adverbs, acceptable adverbial transformations, coexistence with negation; b) functional, i.e. the resultant of a quasi-participial operation vs. metatextual unit of the system, possibility to elide an adverb.
Visually irresistible, but essentially unbearable, or on some of Czech adjectives and adverbsThe present contribution from the field of comparative Slavonic word for mation deals with a specific feature of the Czech language, namely its frequent (in comparison to other Slavonic tongues) use of adjectives of passive possibility (impossibility), which in Czech usually assume the suffix -telný (or ne-telný), and of so-called viewpoint adverbs, like cenově, vzhledově, and povahově. The article’s main focus is the situation of Czech from a diachronic perspective. Emphasis is also placed upon the differences between particular Slavonic languages as well as in academic traditions of linguistics in particular Slavonic nations. These theoretical remarks are illustrated with examples of different languages conveying the same message with means that are either synthetic (one word, e.g. adjective or adverb) or analytic (multi-word phrase). Vzhledově neodolatelný, ale povahově nesnesitelný, czyli o niektórych czeskich przymiotnikach i przysłówkachCelem artykułu jest zwrócenie uwagi na specyficzną sytuację języka czeskiego, polegającą na wysokiej częstotliwości (w porównaniu z językiem polskim lub innymi językami słowiańskimi) tworzenia i używania przymiotników (nie)możliwościowych z formantem -telný (ew. ne–telný) oraz tzw. przysłówka względu typu cenově, vzhledově, povahově itd. Odwołując się do odpowiedniej literatury fachowej, autorka przedstawia omawiany temat w ujęciu diachronicznym, zwracając równocześnie uwagę na różnice w konkretnych językach słowiańskich oraz w interpretacjach prezentowanego zjawiska w tradycji lingwistycznej poszczególnych narodów słowiańskich. Uwagi natury teoretycznej ilustrowane są przykładami wyrażania tej samej treści – w zależności od danego języka – w sposób syntetyczny (w postaci przymiotnika/przysłówka) albo analityczny (w postaci konstrukcji wielowyrazowej).
Proces rozwoju etymologicznego i semantycznego przysłówków dokona i dokonce był podobny. Obydwa były stosunkowo często używane przez autorów barokowych w znaczeniu ‘úplně, zcela’ (‘w pełni, całkowicie’), a w połączeniu z przeczeniem – w znaczeniu ‘vůbec’ (‘w ogóle’). O ile dokona stopniowo wyszło z użycia, dokonce jest obecnie jedną z najczęściej stosowanych form wyrażania i podkreślania gradacji. Choć takie użycie nie zostało odnotowane w słowniku Jungmanna, niniejszy artykuł wykazuje, że obydwa omawiane przysłówki pełniły te funkcje już w okresie baroku. Wydaje się zatem oczywiste, że ten okres jest istotnym etapem w rozwoju języka czeskiego i nie można go pomijać w analizach językoznawczych.
EN
The adverbs dokona and dokonce went through a similar process of etymological and semantic development. Both of them were relatively often used by Baroque authors to mean ‘úplně, zcela’ (‘fully, completely’), and – when used with negated verbs – ‘vůbec’ (‘at all’). Whereas dokona gradually became obsolete, dokonce is currently one of the most frequent means of expressing and emphasising graduation. Although these functions are not recorded in Jungmann’s dictionary, this article demonstrates that both dokona and dokonce had these features already in Baroque texts. It is evident, then, that the Baroque period is an important stage in the development of the Czech language, and that it must not be overlooked in linguistic studies.
This paper analyses the adverbs certainly and generally as stancetaking markers. These adverbial devices are said to show authorial stance and to communicate the author’s commitment or detachment towards the information presented, and so they are classified as epistemic adverbs (Alonso-Almeida 2015). For this study, I have selected a corpus of history texts from the Modern English period (1700-1900), as compiled in The Corpus of History English Texts (Crespo and Moskowich 2015), on the basis of which the two evidential adverbs are examined using computer corpus tools, although manual inspection is also employed to assess the meaning of the items in context. The findings suggest that, in this type of scientific articles, the two adverbs are used with differing pragmatic functions, in the case of certainly it functions mostly as a booster and, in the specific case of generally, its use seems to primarily suggest a hedging purpose (Hyland 2005a).
The category of epistemic adverbs has recently received increased attention in both Anglophone and Polish linguistics, but English–Polish contrastive research in this area has so far been rather fragmentary. English and Polish grammars differ considerably in the ways they classify epistemic adverbs. The differences largely result from the different understanding of adverbs as a category, which in English grammar tends to be presented as broad and heterogeneous while in Polish grammar – rather narrow and uniform. Polish equivalents of English epistemic adverbs are classified as particles – a distinct word class with its own characteristic properties. This paper presents an overview of approaches to epistemic adverbs taken in Anglophone and Polish linguistics with the aim of identifying their convergent points and suggesting a framework for a contrastive analysis. In the case of Anglophone research, the focus is largely on discourse studies because epistemic adverbs are usually seen as a discourse category. In Polish linguistics, however, they are analysed within different theoretical frameworks, which is why the discussion will not be limited to one specific methodological school. Reference is also made to more general issues, such as the treatment of adverbs as a category.
The article presents a syntactic and semantic analysis of the expressions krok po kroku 'step by step; one step at a time', krok za krokiem 'step by step; little by little', and krok w krok 'step in step', which are described in the dictionaries as idioms. The analysis confirms the existence of the lexical units of Polish language krok po kroku, krok za krokiem and krok w krok but it also shows that in some contexts these expressions are the result of iterative operations.
Polish students often have problems identifying the contexts in which English epistemic adverbs such as arguably, conceivably, presumably can be used because their uses and functions tend to be culture- and language specific. In consequence, their repertoire of English epistemic adverbs is rather narrow. The aim of this paper is to establish whether the definitions offered by commonly used dictionaries are helpful in learning the meanings and uses of English epistemics. It demonstrates that while the meanings of epistemic verbs and adjectives are usually defined at length, the meanings of the corresponding adverbs are often described very briefly or even omitted.
This article focuses on the analysis of the semantic and syntactic properties of the motion verb nager in order to determine its objects and adverbs, according to the criterion of non-selection represented inde- pendently by different syntacticians or semanticians. The analysis has been carried out on the basis of a comparative investigation with French and Polish as the main reference languages. The author’s goal is to compare the argument structures of the predicate nager and its homologues: pływa and płyn, in order to verify the universal status of their presuppositions and selectionnal restrictions.
This paper gives a definition and historical background of the Tom Swifty, addresses different types of punning employed in Tom Swifties, and discusses topics emerging in them. It also treats the occurrence of proverbs, proverbial phrases, idioms, and aphorisms in Tom Swifties. What is typical for Tom Swifty? It might be considered the twentieth century development of the form of folklore called wellerism. Tom Swifty is a wellerism conventionally based on the punning relationship between the way an adverb describes a speaker and simultaneously refers to the meaning of the speaker’s statement. The speaker is traditionally Tom, his statement is usually placed at the beginning of the Tom Swifty, and the adverb at the end of it, e.g. “I see,” said Tom icily (icily vs. I see).
The article deals with the contemporary meaning of the adverb mimochodem 'in passing/casually'. After a brief disciussion of semantic changes within this unit, the synchronic analysis is presented. Appropriate contextual analysis of the adverb mimochodem shows that it collocates only with some verbs of saying. Numerous semantic restrictions suggest that the lexical unit mimochodem places specific speech acts within more general speech events. In the conclusion of the article, the author proposes to capture the relevant semantic properties of the discussed adverb by means of appropriate semantic explication.
Artykuł poświęcony jest kategorialnemu statusowi przysłówków we współczesnym języku białoruskim. Przysłówek jest uważany za jednostkę pochodną, która łączy cechy rzeczowników i predykatów. Pokazano, że przysłówek nie należy do żadnej z tych klas. Przysłówki powstają z rzeczowników tracących znaczenia konkretne i wyabstrahowane. Ta część mowy jest bliższa predykatom, ponieważ może być głównym predykatem w wypowiedzi. Ponadto czasami przysłówek wyraża dodatkową predykatywę i w rezultacie komplikuje strukturę semantyczną zdania. Jednak główną jego funkcją jest modyfikator okolicznikowy, który nie jest predykatem.
The article deals with lingvocultural aspect of studying the Russian adverb. The theoretical basis of the investigation is the idea of cognitive linguistics about function of various grammatical categories of words for rendering definite sort of information. Adverbs fulfil the nominative function and at the same time they have an evaluative connotation. The volume of the adverbs both in the common vocabulary and in a personal vocabulary; the sharp choice of these lexemes and phrases in the process of communication are rather important for detection the degree of reality detalization by a personal. Moreover, the usage of adverbs is connected with the speaker’s intentions, that is why this kind of vocabulary is included (consciously or unconsciously) into the process of forming some images in the recipient’s mind.
In the paper I reflect on the following questions concerning the Polish adverb świadomie ("consciously"): a) its relation to the adjective świadomy ("conscious"), on a syntactic and semantic level; b) the relation to its negative counterpart nieświadomie ("unconsciously"); c) how its interpretation depends on the intonational pattern of a sentence; d) how its interpretation depends on the intonational pattern of a sentence; d) how its interpretation depends on basic features of a modified verb. The key idea of the article, following the tradition of compositional semantics and semantic syntax (with a general reference to philosophical tradition), is that the adverb świadomie, both formally and semantically related to a stricly epistemic expression ktoś jest świadomy czegoś ("somebody is conscious of something"), in typical syntactic / intonational contexts shows certain features characteristic of volitional expressions (like celowo "purposefully" or umyślnie "deliberately"); I try to explain a semantic mechanism of this kind of transformation.
The paper is devoted to adverbial markers of the high level of emotions in Russian and Polish. The following types of intensifiers are analysed: очень, безмерно, крайне, невероятно, невыносимо, необыкновенно, несказанно, сильно, смертельно, страш- но, ужасно, чертовски, чрезвычайно; bardzo, nieprawdopodobnie, niewiarygodnie, niezmiernie, niezwykle, ogromnie, okropnie, piekielnie, potwornie, straszliwie, strasznie, szalenie. They express the level of emotional intensity in a way that is above average. They refer to the emotional state named by an adjective or a participle, an adverb (predicative), or a verb. Most of them serve to intensify both positive and negative emotions.
The purpose of this article is to describe the syntactic and semantic properties of the units normalny and normalnie. The basic thesis concerns the existence of units normalny/normalnie, representing the classes of adjectives and adverbs, as well as metapredicative operators. The adverb normalnie, which the adjective normalny is semantically derived from, conveys the idea of no distinction between a certain x and the other x’s in the cluster x. Someone or something is not different, in terms of a certain feature, from the other items in the same cluster. The metapredicate normalnie constitutes a comment on the theme: it confirms the accuracy of use of a particular predicate.
PL
Celem artykułu jest opis właściwości składniowych i semantycznych jednostek normalny i normalnie, a przede wszystkim określenie ich statusu gramatycznego. Podstawowa teza tekstu dotyczy istnienia odrębnych jednostek języka reprezentujących, odpowiednio, klasę przymiotników i przysłówków (normalny1/normalnie1), a także operatorów metapredykatywnych (normalny2/normalnie2). Przymiotnik normalny, derywowany semantycznie od przysłówka normalnie, wskazuje na brak wyróżniania się pewnego x-a w zbiorze X. Ktoś lub coś nie jest inne pod względem jakiejś cechy od pozostałych elementów zbioru. Metapredykatyw normalnie (a także przymiotnik metapredykatywny normalny) komentuje spełniany aktualnie akt mowy, a dokładnie potwierdza adekwatność użycia danego predykatu.
Autorka porównuje cechy i funkcje wymienionych w tytule wyrazów w polszczyźnie współczesnej i XVII–wiecznej. Według autorki w XVII wieku leksemy te, zaliczane obecnie do czasowników niewłaściwych, miały status pośredni pomiędzy klasą czasowników a przymiotników lub przysłówków. Odmienności między współczesnymi a XVII–wiecznymi użyciami opisywanych wyrazów widoczne są na różnych poziomach systemu językowego. W drugiej części artykułu autorka przedstawia rozwiązania dotyczące opisu tych słów przyjęte w Słowniku języka polskiego XVII i 1. poł. XVIII w.
EN
The author compares features and functions of words listed in the title in the contemporary and 17th century Polish language. According to the author, the status of these lexemes (today treated as impersonal verbs) was in the 17th century intermediate between verbs and adjectives or adverbs. Differences between contemporary and 17th century uses of the words can be seen at several levels of the linguistic system. The author also shows a way of describing these words in the Dictionary of Polish language of the 17th and the 1st half of the18th century.
In the article I consider the problem of sentence stress and its influence on the semantics of the adverbs modifying information on the intentionality of actions, i.e. expressions such as niechcący 'unwillingly', nieświadomie 'unconsciously', przypadkiem 'accidentally', celowo 'on purpose', specjalnie 'intentionally' etc., with special attention paid to the two expressions from this class -niechcący and przypadkiem. I try to demonstrate how their interpretation may differ according to the position they take in the sentence structure. I assume that these units of language - as they are adverbs - belong primarily to the dictum of the sentence, which means that one should take the rhematic position as basic in the explication; all the differences that result from moving them to the thematic dictum should be then intepreted as secondary (as the effect of thematizing).
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