The Semantics of German Verb Prefixes

Description

The Semantics of German Verb Prefixes is the most comprehensive study ever undertaken in this area of German grammar. Using an extensive collection of naturally occurring data, the author proposes an image-schematic interpretation for each of the productive prefixes be-, ver-, er-, ent-, zer-, um-, über-, unter-, and durch-. These abstract semantic patterns underlie a remarkable range of particular meanings, and they consistently account for subtle contrasts between prefixed verbs and alternative constructions such as simple verbs, particle verbs, and verbs with other prefixes. Furthermore, the author develops a schematic meaning for the prefixed verb construction itself. This grammatical meaning reflects the interpreter’s perspective and attentional focus as the objective event is imagined to unfold. Underlying all of these proposals is a novel conception of meaning as a dynamic and flexible process with a constantly active role for the interpreter. This volume will be of great value to cognitive linguists as well as scholars and students of German who want to gain insights into a central and puzzling part of the morphosyntax and semantics of the German language. The Semantics of German Verb Prefixes Editorial page Title page LCC data Table of contents List of figures List of tables Preface Introduction 1. The starting point 2. The kinds of ‘meaning’ to look for 3. Organization of the book 4. Sources of evidence Chapter 1. Route-path prefixes and basic concepts 1. The objective meanings 1.1 Über and unter 1.2 Durch 1.3 Um 2. Extending objects, fictive motion, and meanings as dynamic patterns 3. The meaning of the prefixed verb construction itself 3.1 Synoptic vs sequential construals 3.2 Schematic meanings in grammatical constructions 4. Types with route-path prefixes 4.1 Holistic paths 4.1.1 Geometric images 4.1.2 Focal obstacles 4.1.3 Summary of holistic paths 4.2 Multi-directional paths 4.2.1 Multiplexes and masses 4.2.2 Multi-directional paths as uniquely synoptic 4.3 Summary of basic characteristics 4.4 Accusative LMs 4.5 Über- and unter- verbs with an implicit LM 5. Direct contrasts 5.1 Überführen vs überführen 5.2 Durchschneiden vs durchschneiden 6. Summary Chapter 2. Be- 1. Core meaning 1.1 The schematic image 1.2 Comparing German and English 2. Be- verbs and transitivity 2.1 Be- verbs that transitivize 2.2 Applicative constructions and the “locative alternation” 3. Direct contrasts with unprefixed transitive constructions 3.1 Direct contrasts with unprefixed goal-object verbs 3.2 Direct contrasts with other unprefixed verbs 3.2.1 Sustain an activity (befragen, begrüßen, begründen, behalten) 3.2.2 More complex activities (befürchten, bemessen, betreffen) 3.2.3 Accusative LM vs accusative FG (befühlen, beschließen, betreiben, benutzen) 3.2.4 Special notice: Merken vs. bemerken 3.3 Bare denominals vs denominal be- verbs 3.3.1 Sustained processes (belüften) 3.3.2 Untransformed LMs (besalzen, bekrönen) 3.3.3 Uncompleted events (bekleiden) 3.3.4 Marking the construction as denominal 3.4 Deadjectival verbs (befeuchten, betrüben, bereinigen) 3.5 Summary: The semantic contribution of be- 4. Stylistic tendencies 4.1 Register 4.2 Past participles 4.3 Marking complex denominal base verbs 5. The irrelevance of themes 5.1 Themes and instruments 5.2 Be- verbs with no theme 6. Frequencies Chapter 3. Ent- 1. Schematic meaning 1.1 Privative ent- 1.2 Separation by a focal theme 1.3 The shared underlying pattern 2. Contrasts with unprefixed verbs 2.1 Simple verbs 2.2 Particle verbs with ab- and aus- 2.3 Particle verbs with an- 3. Issues with ent- verbs 3.1 ‘Reversative’ ent- 3.2 ‘Inchoative’ ent-? 3.3 “Illogical” deadjectival privatives with resulting state (entleeren) 3.4 Privative divesting vs separating with a focal theme 3.4.1 From ‘divesting of’ to ‘separating from’ (entheben, entbinden, enteignen) 3.4.2 Von-PPs vs genitive 3.4.3 English of/from alternations 4. Frequencies Chapter 4. Er- 1. Schematic meaning 1.1 The focal nouns 1.2 Aspectual implications 1.3 Er- verbs as stylistically marked 1.4 English counterparts to er- 2. ‘Attaining’ er- verbs vs unprefixed verbs 2.1 Alternating er- verbs and simple verbs 2.2 Directly contrasting er- verbs and simple verbs 2.3 Er- vs aus- 3. Contrasts with ‘emerging’ er- verbs 3.1 ‘Emerging’ er- verbs vs simple base verbs 3.2 Er- vs auf- 3.2.1 Intransitive onset 3.2.2 Caused onset 3.3 Er- verbs vs werden/machen with adjective 4. Summary of contrasts 5. Grammatical issues 5.1 Types of base verb 5.2 Transitivity 6. Frequencies Chapter 5. Zer- 1. Schematic image 2. Grammatical constructions 3. Specifying the result 4. Breaking in two 5. Zer- vs simple verbs 6. Zer- verbs vs particle verbs 7. Frequencies Chapter 6. Ver- 1. The difficulties 2. The schematic image 3. Specific variants 3.1 Be displaced (vergehen, versetzen, verteilen) 3.2 Be closed off from access (verbergen, verschließen) 3.3 Lose independence (verschmelzen, sich verfangen) 3.4 Become altered (verändern) 3.5 Be ruined (verderben) 3.6 Deviate from a course (verführen) 3.7 Summary 4. Grammatical characteristics 4.1 Grammatical types 4.2 Aspectual issues 5. Ver- verbs vs simple verbs 5.1 ‘Altering’ contrasts 5.1.1 Verändern vs ändern 5.1.2 Verfälschen, verärgern 5.1.3 Verkürzen 5.1.4 Verbessern 5.1.5 ‘Altering’ summary 5.2 Ver- verbs vs simple activity verbs 5.2.1 Merging and submerging (vermischen, versinken) 5.2.2 Preventing (verhindern, verschließen) 5.2.3 Initiating a path (versenden, verrücken) 5.3 Summary: Contrasting ver- verbs and simple verbs 6. Contrast with verb particles 6.1 Ver- vs ab- 6.2 Ver- vs aus- 7. Locational PPs vs goal PPs 7.1 Normal synoptic displacement 7.2 Inward-directed paths 7.3 Directed distribution 8. Frequencies Chapter 7. The system of prefixes 1. Ver- vs ent- 1.1 Near antonyms 1.2 Near synonyms 1.2.1 Verschwinden vs entschwinden 1.2.2 Ent- and overcoming resistance 2. Ver- vs er- 2.1 Near antonyms 2.2 Near synonyms: ‘Altering’ (ver-) vs ‘emerging’ (er-) 2.2.1 Losses and gains? (verblassen vs erblassen) 2.2.2 Emerging from within (er-) vs being altered (ver-) 2.3 Other near synonyms 2.3.1 Dying (erlöschen vs verlöschen) 2.3.2 Vertragen vs ertragen 2.4 Summary of ver- vs er- 3. Ver- vs be- 4. Ver- vs zer- 5. Be- vs route-path prefixes 6. Be- vs ent- 6.1 Antonyms 6.2 Ent- verbs vs berauben 7. Be- vs er- 8. Ent- vs er- 8.1 Near antonyms 8.2 ‘Originating’ vs ‘emerging’ 9. The system of verb prefixes 9.1 The synoptic construal pattern 9.2 The semantic FGs (the verb events) 9.3 The semantic LMs (the synoptic settings) 9.4 Gains and losses 9.5 Grammatical patterns 9.5.1 Noun roles 9.5.2 Base verbs 9.5.3 Aspectual implications 9.6 Summary 10. Theoretical implications References Index of subjects and names Index of verbs, prefixes and particles