The secret nominal life of Afrikaans intransitive adpositions
Date
2017
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch University, Department of Linguistics
Abstract
Languages like Afrikaans are sometimes said to feature a class of adpositions that can be described as “intransitive” (e.g. binne “inside”, bo “upstairs”, agter “in the back”, buite “outside”, onder “downstairs” voor “in the front”). It is argued that such elements in fact instantiate a “hybrid” category – the locative noun category – which is not missing a Ground external argument but is actually lexicalising the nominal structure associated with that Ground argument itself. Such locative nouns pattern with R-pronouns and home-class nouns and therefore probably share a similar internal structure with these better-studied elements of language.
Description
CITATION: Pretorius, E. 2017. The secret nominal life of Afrikaans intransitive adpositions. Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics, 48:9-16, doi:10.5774/48-0-277.
The original publication is available at http://spil.journals.ac.za
The original publication is available at http://spil.journals.ac.za
Keywords
Intransitive adposition, Afrikaans language -- Postpositions, Afrikaans language -- Prepositions, Grammar, Comparative and general -- Word formation, Grammar, Comparative and general -- Verb, Afrikaans language -- Vocabulary, Syncretism
Citation
Pretorius, E. 2017. The secret nominal life of Afrikaans intransitive adpositions. Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics, 48:9-16, doi:10.5774/48-0-277.