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Repetition and reduplication in Croatian

Ivan Marković orcid.org/0000-0003-0005-5768

Sažetak

Repetition and reduplication in language are two types of repeating the same language material,
repetition being syntactical, and reduplication being morphological (inflectional and derivational)
process. In the paper a dozen of Croatian repetitive constructions are recognised and described,
and arguments are presented by which they can or cannot be considered as reduplicated.
Several groups of lexemes are formed by some kind of repetition: 1) lexemes with the repetition
of majoritive prefixes like pra– ’proto–’, naj– ’the most’, pre– ’too’, 2) adverbs gdjegdje ’here
and there’, katkada ’sometimes’, and indefinite pronouns {to{ta ’different things’, kojekoji ’different,
various’, 3) loan words like bombon ’sweet’, ciklus ’cycle’, and indigenous but derivationally
not analyzable words like glagol ’verb’, pepeo ’ashes’, 4) adjectives raznorazni ’different’, vjekovje-
čan ’eternal’, and danodnevni ’day in day out’, 5) adverbs like tako–tako ’so–so’, malo–malo ’from
time to time’.
Several kinds of syntactically repetitive constructions are also recognized: 1) repetition of a
verb with the connotation of iterativity, with possible conversion into interjection (vidi, vidi!
’oho!’), 2) repetition of the Duša mu je kamen – kamen ’His soul is stone – stone (i. e. made of
stone)’ type, 3) repetition of the comparative of adjectives in gradational constructions sve + comp.
+ i + comp ’comp. + and + comp. (e. g. better and better)’, 4) adjectival periphrastic superlative
phrases of the pun puncat ’completely full’ type, 5) repetition of a phrase with the connotation of
derogativity and not fulfilling interlocutor’s expectations (Vrati mi novac, vrati mi novac... ’Return
me the money, return me the money...’), 6) repetition in children’s mocking, 7) repetition of an
NP or an AP in concessive clauses (Noga u gipsu, noga u gipsu – na bratovu se svadbu mora ići
’Leg in plaster, leg in plaster – one must attend one’s brother’s wedding (i. e. Even if one’s leg is
in plaster,...)’).
It is concluded that Croatian, like other West European languages, does not have grammaticalized
reduplication, and that reduplicated lexemes are often better described by other derivational
processes. Only adjectival constructions of the pun puncat type exhibit properties of the proper
reduplicated constructions to the greater extent. Connotations of Croatian syntactically repetitive
constructions – derogativity, depreciation, concessivity – cannot be subsumed under the notion of
mere increase, iterativity, or emphases. Meanings obtained by repetitive derivation are always positive
in Croatian, and those obtained by repetition in syntax can be either positive or negative.
Syntactical repetitive constructions are usually heard in colloquial language and are usually
strengthened by particular apodictic intonation, and sometimes mocking, grimaces etc.

Ključne riječi

repetition (linguistics); reduplication (linguistics); word formation; syntax; colloquial language; Croatian

Hrčak ID:

19508

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/19508

Datum izdavanja:

14.12.2007.

Podaci na drugim jezicima: hrvatski

Posjeta: 3.194 *