Linguistics, Vol. 10 No. 2, 2009.
Original scientific paper
GRAMMATICALIZATION AND SECONDARY PREPOSITIONS DERIVED FROM VERBS AND NOUNS
Mirjana Bučar
; Faculty of Philosophy, University of Osijek
Abstract
Unlike the traditional conception of prepositions as closed word class with a limited number
of members, prepositions in this paper are conceived as an open, inhomogeneous group of
words (including both lexemes and syntagms) consisting of elements with a different degree
of grammaticalization. The term secondary prepositions covers those expressions wich originate
from other word classes, but which are used in contemporary Croatian in the same form
both as lexical and grammatical units. Consequently, such prepositions are divided into
deverbal (zahvaljujući, isključivši, sudeći po) and denominal (početkom, na temelju, u vezi s).
In accordance with the assumptions of grammaticalization theory, the author emphasizes the
difference between lexical and grammatical uses of such expressions and shows that these
prepositions have lost some of their former categorial features, which is primarily caused by
semantic changes, that is by the bleaching of their lexical meanings.
Keywords
grammaticalization; secondary prepositions; complex prepositions; deverbal prepositions; denominal prepositions; desemantization
Hrčak ID:
45244
URI
Publication date:
16.12.2009.
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