Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.17234/SRAZ.67.5
Specificities of noun phrase modifiers in Portuguese and Bulgarian
Vesela Chergova
orcid.org/0000-0002-8490-0676
; Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a contrasting study of infinitive phrases in Portuguese,
which can perform the function of modifiers of the noun phrase with Bulgarian
da-clauses in the same position. This topic focuses on a comparative research of two
language types: Romance and Slavic. In addition to suggesting a brief overview of the
typology of modifiers in both languages, the nomenclature of the morphosyntactic structures
in question aims to define and analyse specific elements that do not have a formal
correspondence in both languages. One of the specific features of Portuguese is the use
of an infinitive introduced by a preposition (um almoço de lamber os dedos / um almoço
delicioso / a finger-licking lunch) which in Bulgarian is introduced by the conjunction da
and a conjugated form of the verb (един обяд да си оближеш пръстите), since Bulgarian
verbs have lost their infinitive form in the course of diachrony. The structure known in
Bulgarian linguistics as da-clause originates from the infinitive (Petrova 2019, Viktorova
2005) and can also introduce relative clauses with a finite predicate in the indicative or
subjunctive mood, since Bulgarian doesn’t have subjunctive morphemes. The study
forms a hypotheses to identify and clarify the archimodal and architemporal capacities
of the infinitive, on the one hand, and on the other, to verify its impact, or the impact of
its equivalent structures, in the processes of determining the noun phrase (as per Coseriu
1973: 282-323). Issues related to the development of the historical level of language converge
in the theme. These same issues converge with the mental configuration of categorial and
discursive concepts at the universal level of language.
Keywords
comparative linguistics, noun phrase, modifiers, Portuguese infinitive phrases, Bulgarian da-clauses
Hrčak ID:
305804
URI
Publication date:
18.12.2022.
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