Author: Olga M. Mladenova
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110198894
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 485
Book Description
In its evolution from a synthetic to an analytic language, Bulgarian acquired a grammaticalized category of definiteness. The book presents the first attempt to explore in detail how this happened by comparing the earliest Modern Bulgarian texts with contemporary dialect and standard Bulgarian data. The basic units of analysis are the various types of nominal structures headed by nouns or pronouns. The analysis requires the strict terminological disentanglement of form from content and the adoption of a default inheritance model of definiteness that allow the exhaustive classification and tagging of nominal structures encountered in the texts. Tagging makes it possible to apply quantitative analysis to nominal structure and to assess the types available in the early texts from a current native-speaker perspective. Based on an S-curve model of language change, the study establishes that overt markers of definiteness were first made available to identifiability-based definites, then to inclusiveness-based definites, quantitative generics and unique referents. The overt markers of indefiniteness followed suit, separating indefinites from non-specifics and typifying generics. This progression of definiteness was directed by variables such as person, animacy, gender, number and noun-class, and started in contexts in which definiteness closely interacted with possessivity. Such an analysis leads to the realization that the two-dimensional S-curve model does not account for all language change and that there is a need for a three-dimensional model. It also demonstrates that, contrary to previous assumptions, there is continuity between the early Slavic marker of definiteness (long-form adjectives) and the Modern Bulgarian article. This discovery, in conjunction with geolinguistic arguments, sheds new light on the role that relations inside the Balkan Sprachbund played in the grammaticalization of Bulgarian definiteness.
Definiteness in Bulgarian
Author: Olga M. Mladenova
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110198894
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 485
Book Description
In its evolution from a synthetic to an analytic language, Bulgarian acquired a grammaticalized category of definiteness. The book presents the first attempt to explore in detail how this happened by comparing the earliest Modern Bulgarian texts with contemporary dialect and standard Bulgarian data. The basic units of analysis are the various types of nominal structures headed by nouns or pronouns. The analysis requires the strict terminological disentanglement of form from content and the adoption of a default inheritance model of definiteness that allow the exhaustive classification and tagging of nominal structures encountered in the texts. Tagging makes it possible to apply quantitative analysis to nominal structure and to assess the types available in the early texts from a current native-speaker perspective. Based on an S-curve model of language change, the study establishes that overt markers of definiteness were first made available to identifiability-based definites, then to inclusiveness-based definites, quantitative generics and unique referents. The overt markers of indefiniteness followed suit, separating indefinites from non-specifics and typifying generics. This progression of definiteness was directed by variables such as person, animacy, gender, number and noun-class, and started in contexts in which definiteness closely interacted with possessivity. Such an analysis leads to the realization that the two-dimensional S-curve model does not account for all language change and that there is a need for a three-dimensional model. It also demonstrates that, contrary to previous assumptions, there is continuity between the early Slavic marker of definiteness (long-form adjectives) and the Modern Bulgarian article. This discovery, in conjunction with geolinguistic arguments, sheds new light on the role that relations inside the Balkan Sprachbund played in the grammaticalization of Bulgarian definiteness.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110198894
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 485
Book Description
In its evolution from a synthetic to an analytic language, Bulgarian acquired a grammaticalized category of definiteness. The book presents the first attempt to explore in detail how this happened by comparing the earliest Modern Bulgarian texts with contemporary dialect and standard Bulgarian data. The basic units of analysis are the various types of nominal structures headed by nouns or pronouns. The analysis requires the strict terminological disentanglement of form from content and the adoption of a default inheritance model of definiteness that allow the exhaustive classification and tagging of nominal structures encountered in the texts. Tagging makes it possible to apply quantitative analysis to nominal structure and to assess the types available in the early texts from a current native-speaker perspective. Based on an S-curve model of language change, the study establishes that overt markers of definiteness were first made available to identifiability-based definites, then to inclusiveness-based definites, quantitative generics and unique referents. The overt markers of indefiniteness followed suit, separating indefinites from non-specifics and typifying generics. This progression of definiteness was directed by variables such as person, animacy, gender, number and noun-class, and started in contexts in which definiteness closely interacted with possessivity. Such an analysis leads to the realization that the two-dimensional S-curve model does not account for all language change and that there is a need for a three-dimensional model. It also demonstrates that, contrary to previous assumptions, there is continuity between the early Slavic marker of definiteness (long-form adjectives) and the Modern Bulgarian article. This discovery, in conjunction with geolinguistic arguments, sheds new light on the role that relations inside the Balkan Sprachbund played in the grammaticalization of Bulgarian definiteness.
Definiteness in Bulgarian
Author: Olga M. Mladenova
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 9783110195576
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 492
Book Description
Like other Slavic languages, Bulgarian lacked a definite article in its earlier stages. Unlike them, it has one today. The book formulates the rules that govern the use of articles and other markers of (in)definiteness in Modern Standard Bulgarian in comparison with the seventeenth century, and constructs a model of transition from the older system to the modern one, a model which is then evaluated against broader historical and dialect data and placed in a Balkan and general Slavic context
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 9783110195576
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 492
Book Description
Like other Slavic languages, Bulgarian lacked a definite article in its earlier stages. Unlike them, it has one today. The book formulates the rules that govern the use of articles and other markers of (in)definiteness in Modern Standard Bulgarian in comparison with the seventeenth century, and constructs a model of transition from the older system to the modern one, a model which is then evaluated against broader historical and dialect data and placed in a Balkan and general Slavic context
Bulgarian Grammar
Author: Ruselina Nicolova
Publisher: Frank & Timme GmbH
ISBN: 3732902242
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 716
Book Description
This Bulgarian Grammar is a semantically and functionally oriented type of academic grammar. New semantic interpretations, often based on logical analysis, are offered in the area of determination, pronouns, verbs, etc. Morphological facts are related to syntax and pragmatics. Theoretically and methodologically the description fits into the context of contemporary linguistics and is suitable for typological studies, since Bulgarian offers rich and interesting material.
Publisher: Frank & Timme GmbH
ISBN: 3732902242
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 716
Book Description
This Bulgarian Grammar is a semantically and functionally oriented type of academic grammar. New semantic interpretations, often based on logical analysis, are offered in the area of determination, pronouns, verbs, etc. Morphological facts are related to syntax and pragmatics. Theoretically and methodologically the description fits into the context of contemporary linguistics and is suitable for typological studies, since Bulgarian offers rich and interesting material.
Definiteness
Author: Christopher Lyons
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521368353
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 408
Book Description
This 1999 textbook investigates definiteness both from a comparative and a theoretical point of view, showing how languages express definiteness and what definiteness is. It surveys a large number of languages to discover the range of variation in relation to definiteness and related grammatical phenomena, such as demonstratives, possessives and personal pronouns. It outlines work done on the nature of definiteness in semantics, pragmatics and syntax, and develops an account on which definiteness is a grammatical category represented in syntax as a functional head (the widely discussed D). Consideration is also given to the origins and evolution of definite articles in the light of the comparative and theoretical findings. Among the claims advanced are that definiteness does not occur in all languages, though the pragmatic concept which it grammaticalizes probably does.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521368353
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 408
Book Description
This 1999 textbook investigates definiteness both from a comparative and a theoretical point of view, showing how languages express definiteness and what definiteness is. It surveys a large number of languages to discover the range of variation in relation to definiteness and related grammatical phenomena, such as demonstratives, possessives and personal pronouns. It outlines work done on the nature of definiteness in semantics, pragmatics and syntax, and develops an account on which definiteness is a grammatical category represented in syntax as a functional head (the widely discussed D). Consideration is also given to the origins and evolution of definite articles in the light of the comparative and theoretical findings. Among the claims advanced are that definiteness does not occur in all languages, though the pragmatic concept which it grammaticalizes probably does.
Definiteness Effects
Author: Susann Fischer
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443898007
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 475
Book Description
This volume explores in detail the empirical and conceptual content of the definiteness effect in grammar. It brings together a variety of relevant observations from a typological, diachronic and a bilingual/second language acquisition perspective, and provides a general overview of different approaches concerned with the syntactic, morphological, semantic, and pragmatic properties of the Definiteness Effect in a series of European and non-European languages.
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443898007
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 475
Book Description
This volume explores in detail the empirical and conceptual content of the definiteness effect in grammar. It brings together a variety of relevant observations from a typological, diachronic and a bilingual/second language acquisition perspective, and provides a general overview of different approaches concerned with the syntactic, morphological, semantic, and pragmatic properties of the Definiteness Effect in a series of European and non-European languages.
The Article and the Concept of Definiteness in Language
Author: Jirí Krámský
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110886901
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 217
Book Description
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110886901
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 217
Book Description
Using Russian
Author: Derek Offord
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9781139445092
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 532
Book Description
Using Russian is a guide to Russian usage for those who have already acquired the basics of the language and wish to extend their knowledge. Unlike conventional grammars, it gives special attention to those areas of vocabulary and grammar which cause most difficulty to English speakers, and focuses on questions of style and register which are all too often ignored. Clear, readable and easy to consult, it will prove invaluable to students seeking to improve their fluency and confidence in Russian. This second edition has been substantially revised and expanded to incorporate fresh material and up-to-date information. Many of the original chapters have been rewritten and one brand new chapter has been added, providing a clear picture of Russian usage in the 21st century.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9781139445092
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 532
Book Description
Using Russian is a guide to Russian usage for those who have already acquired the basics of the language and wish to extend their knowledge. Unlike conventional grammars, it gives special attention to those areas of vocabulary and grammar which cause most difficulty to English speakers, and focuses on questions of style and register which are all too often ignored. Clear, readable and easy to consult, it will prove invaluable to students seeking to improve their fluency and confidence in Russian. This second edition has been substantially revised and expanded to incorporate fresh material and up-to-date information. Many of the original chapters have been rewritten and one brand new chapter has been added, providing a clear picture of Russian usage in the 21st century.
Definiteness across languages
Author: Ana Aguilar-Guevara
Publisher: Language Science Press
ISBN: 3961101922
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 502
Book Description
Definiteness has been a central topic in theoretical semantics since its modern foundation. However, despite its significance, there has been surprisingly scarce research on its cross-linguistic expression. With the purpose of contributing to filling this gap, the present volume gathers thirteen studies exploiting insights from formal semantics and syntax, typological and language specific studies, and, crucially, semantic fieldwork and cross-linguistic semantics, in order to address the expression and interpretation of definiteness in a diverse group of languages, most of them understudied. The papers presented in this volume aim to establish a dialogue between theory and data in order to answer the following questions: What formal strategies do natural languages employ to encode definiteness? What are the possible meanings associated to this notion across languages? Are there different types of definite reference? Which other functions (besides marking definite reference) are associated with definite descriptions? Each of the papers contained in this volume addresses at least one of these questions and, in doing so, they aim to enrich our understanding of definiteness.
Publisher: Language Science Press
ISBN: 3961101922
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 502
Book Description
Definiteness has been a central topic in theoretical semantics since its modern foundation. However, despite its significance, there has been surprisingly scarce research on its cross-linguistic expression. With the purpose of contributing to filling this gap, the present volume gathers thirteen studies exploiting insights from formal semantics and syntax, typological and language specific studies, and, crucially, semantic fieldwork and cross-linguistic semantics, in order to address the expression and interpretation of definiteness in a diverse group of languages, most of them understudied. The papers presented in this volume aim to establish a dialogue between theory and data in order to answer the following questions: What formal strategies do natural languages employ to encode definiteness? What are the possible meanings associated to this notion across languages? Are there different types of definite reference? Which other functions (besides marking definite reference) are associated with definite descriptions? Each of the papers contained in this volume addresses at least one of these questions and, in doing so, they aim to enrich our understanding of definiteness.
The Languages of the World
Author: Kenneth Katzner
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134532881
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 400
Book Description
This third edition of Kenneth Katzner's best-selling guide to languages is essential reading for language enthusiasts everywhere. Written with the non-specialist in mind, its user-friendly style and layout, delightful original passages, and exotic scripts, will continue to fascinate the reader. This new edition has been thoroughly revised to include more languages, more countries, and up-to-date data on populations. Features include: *information on nearly 600 languages *individual descriptions of 200 languages, with sample passages and English translations *concise notes on where each language is spoken, its history, alphabet and pronunciation *coverage of every country in the world, its main language and speaker numbers *an introduction to language families
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134532881
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 400
Book Description
This third edition of Kenneth Katzner's best-selling guide to languages is essential reading for language enthusiasts everywhere. Written with the non-specialist in mind, its user-friendly style and layout, delightful original passages, and exotic scripts, will continue to fascinate the reader. This new edition has been thoroughly revised to include more languages, more countries, and up-to-date data on populations. Features include: *information on nearly 600 languages *individual descriptions of 200 languages, with sample passages and English translations *concise notes on where each language is spoken, its history, alphabet and pronunciation *coverage of every country in the world, its main language and speaker numbers *an introduction to language families
Intensive Bulgarian
Author: Ronelle Alexander
Publisher: Univ of Wisconsin Press
ISBN: 9780299167448
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 418
Book Description
A comprehensive textbook teaching English-speakers to read, write and speak contemporary Bulgarian. Volume one, introducing the basic elements of Bulgarian grammar, contains lessons 1-15, a Bulgarian-English glossary, and English-Bulgarian glossary for beginners, and an appendix of verbal forms.
Publisher: Univ of Wisconsin Press
ISBN: 9780299167448
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 418
Book Description
A comprehensive textbook teaching English-speakers to read, write and speak contemporary Bulgarian. Volume one, introducing the basic elements of Bulgarian grammar, contains lessons 1-15, a Bulgarian-English glossary, and English-Bulgarian glossary for beginners, and an appendix of verbal forms.