Original scientific paper

THE SEMANTICS OF THE PREPOSITION PO IN CROATIAN LANGUAGE

Darko Matovac orcid.org/0000-0003-2919-2029 ; Odjel za kroatistiku i slavistiku Sveučilišta u Zadru

Abstract

This paper examines the semantics of the preposition po in the Croatian
language within the theoretical framework of cognitive linguistics. The introductory part of the paper gives a short overview of theoretical assumptions and summarises the previous fidings on the semantics of this preposition. The shortcomings of the descriptions in contemporary grammars and dictionaries are identifid and discussed. In the central part of the paper the semantic network of the preposition po is described – its prototypical spatial meaning based on the concepts of motion and surface is identifid and the ways in which the prototypical spatial meaning is related to other spatial meanings and the meanings in non-spatial domains are elaborated. All interpretations are derived from an extensive investigation into the examples collected from on-line corpuses of the Croatian language and research conducted among native speakers.

Keywords

Croatian language; cognitive linguistics; spatial particles; preposition po; motion on surface; locative case; accusative case

Hrčak ID:

136362

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/136362

Publication date:

3.2.2015.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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