| dc.description.abstract | At first glance, the variety of possible denotations of a given prefix
might appear a chaotic set of idiomatic meanings, e.g. the prefix `za-´
may refer to the beginning of an action, movement to a position
behind an object, a brief deviation from a path, or completion of an
action.
I propose a unified analysis of prefixes, where the differences in
meaning are claimed to arise from different syntactic positions, while
the lexical entry of a prefix remains the same. The main focus is
on the verbs of motion due to the consistent duality displayed by
the prefix meanings when added to directional and non-directional
motion verbs. It turns out that prefixes modify path when added
onto a directional motion verb and refer to movement in time with
non-directional motion verbs. This semantic distinction corresponds
to distinct sets of syntactic properties, characteristic of the lexical
and superlexical prefixes.
Furthermore, a tripartite division emerges in each set of prefixes,
corresponding to source, path, and goal of motion (FROM, VIA and
TO) for lexical prefixes and to beginning, duration and completion
for superlexical prefixes. This leads to the suggestion that the same
prefix with a consistent conceptual meaning, shared with the corresponding preposition, receives part of its denotation from its position
in the syntactic representation.
The separation of conceptual meaning from the structural meaning allows the polysemy to arise from position, rather than from
arbitrary homophony. Thus, conceptual structure is unified with
syntax. | en |
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