Linguistics, Vol. 9 No. 1-2, 2008.
Original scientific paper
Pre-locativity as the schematic meaning of the Croatian verbal prefix pred-
Branimir Belaj
orcid.org/0000-0002-2334-9673
; University of Osijek
Abstract
Criticising the traditional approach, according to which verbs formed with the
same prefix form a cluster of homonymous relations, in this paper we introduce
the concept schematic meaning which links together the quite distinct specific
meanings of different verbs sharing a prefix. In the case of the Croatian verbal
prefix pred- and its allomorph pret- this schematic meaning can best be characterised
as the superschema of pre-locativity. This superschema characterises both the
prototypical and the peripheral cases, whereby their (non)prototypicality derives
from the conceptual status of and relations among the agentive trajector, trajector
and landmark as the superschema’s conceptual substructures. A cognitive model
based on conceptual networks allows us to characterise the category of verbs prefixed
by pred- as a category exhibiting prototype effects; the schematic meaning
establishes a motivated link between their diverse specific meanings and creates a
semantic unity within the apparent semantic diversity.
Keywords
verbal prefix pred-; schematic meaning; specific meaning; agentive trajectory; trajectory; landmark; superschema; pre-locativity; homonymy; polysemy
Hrčak ID:
30682
URI
Publication date:
22.12.2008.
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