Continuity and change
2017; John Benjamins Publishing Company; Linguagem: Inglês
10.1075/ill.15.04mor
ISSN1873-5037
Autores Tópico(s)Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation
ResumoAblaut Reduplication (AR), as in see-saw, knick-knack , is frequently used in different languages to mimic movement. In this paper, I will discuss its possible iconic interpretations. Following and developing an idea originally suggested by Thun (1963: 75–87) , I will show that AR is associated with a physical (visual or acoustic) alternating movement in the following way: reduplication in AR mimics continuity, including repetition, plurality, distribution and habitualness ( Fischer 2011: 67 ), and vowel alternation mimics change including variation, change of direction, instability, uncertainty, vacillation, reciprocity and interruption. I will show that all these meanings can be derived from the combination of the two abstract notions of continuity and change as applied to different aspects of reality and from the results of various semantic shifts associated with reduplicative constructions in general ( Fischer 2011: 65–67 ). I will discuss examples from different languages (including English, French, Spanish, Basque, Estonian, Khakas and Chinese) in order to check the general character of the proposed iconic analysis of AR expressions.
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