Experiencing time in Estonian constructions with an adjective
and an MA-infinitive

J 2020

Experiencing time in Estonian constructions with an adjective and an MA-infinitive

HEBEDOVÁ, Petra

Basic information

Original name

Experiencing time in Estonian constructions with an adjective and an MA-infinitive

Authors

HEBEDOVÁ, Petra (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Baltistica, Vilnius, 2020, 0132-6503

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

60203 Linguistics

Country of publisher

Lithuania

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14210/20:00117116

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.15388/baltistica.55.1.2372

Keywords (in Czech)

estonština; konstrukční schéma; doména času; MA-infinitiv; adjektivum

Keywords in English

Estonian; constructional schema; time domain; MA-infinitive; adjective

Abstract

V originále

The article is concerned with an Estonian construction such as in Sügis on kiire tulema ‘Autumn is quick to come’, Aastad on kärmed kuluma ‘Years are quick to pass’, Petlik mulje on kerge tekkima ‘False impression is easily formed (lit. false impression is easy to come into existence)’, Haavad on raksed paranema ‘Wounds will heal with difficulty (lit. wounds are difficult to heal)’ in which a combination of an adjective and an infinitival form (the MA-infinitive in illative) is used to characterize the subject. I analyse this construction as a specific variant of a semantically less specific and more widespread Estonian construction with the same components (X is ADJ V-MAINF). The meaning of the specific variant analysed here is related to experience of time and the sentences such as those above give a prediction as to how likely or unlikely an event is to occur or is experienced as such. The adjective usually specifies the change as swift, easily and inevitably coming or as hindered and improbable. The verb in MA-infinitive is mostly a dynamic existential verb denoting either coming into existence or ceasing from it. The subject of the sentence gets an event-like interpretation even if such meaning is not a primary one for the respective NP (c. f. petlik mulje ‘false impression’, haavad ‘wounds’). This specific variant is then due to its specific semantic features analysed as an extension in respect to the more general Estonian construction X is ADJ V-MAINF.

Links

MUNI/A/0873/2019, interní kód MU

Name: Podpora výzkumu studentů na MU - obecná jazykovědy a baltistika 2020

Investor: Masaryk University, Category A

Citovat

HEBEDOVÁ, Petra. Experiencing time in Estonian constructions with an adjective and an MA-infinitive. Baltistica. Vilnius, 2020, vol. 55, No 1, p. 159-179. ISSN 0132-6503. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.15388/baltistica.55.1.2372.

@article{1699978,
   author = {Hebedová, Petra},
   article_location = {Vilnius},
   article_number = {1},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.15388/baltistica.55.1.2372},
   keywords = {Estonian; constructional schema; time domain; MA-infinitive; adjective},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {0132-6503},
   journal = {Baltistica},
   title = {Experiencing time in Estonian constructions with an adjective and an MA-infinitive},
   url = {http://www.baltistica.lt/index.php/baltistica/article/view/2372},
   volume = {55},
   year = {2020}
}

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AU  - Hebedová, Petra
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TI  - Experiencing time in Estonian constructions with an adjective and an MA-infinitive
JF  - Baltistica
VL  - 55
IS  - 1
SP  - 159-179
EP  - 159-179
SN  - 01326503
KW  - Estonian
KW  - constructional schema
KW  - time domain
KW  - MA-infinitive
KW  - adjective
UR  - http://www.baltistica.lt/index.php/baltistica/article/view/2372
L2  - http://www.baltistica.lt/index.php/baltistica/article/view/2372
N2  - The article is concerned with an Estonian construction such as in Sügis on kiire tulema ‘Autumn is quick to come’, Aastad on kärmed kuluma ‘Years are quick to pass’, Petlik mulje on kerge tekkima ‘False impression is easily formed (lit. false impression is easy to come into existence)’, Haavad on raksed paranema ‘Wounds will heal with difficulty (lit. wounds are difficult to heal)’ in which a combination of an adjective and an infinitival form (the MA-infinitive in illative) is used to characterize the subject. I analyse this construction as a specific variant of a semantically less specific and more widespread Estonian construction with the same components (X is ADJ V-MAINF). The meaning of the specific variant analysed here is related to experience of time and the sentences such as those above give a prediction as to how likely or unlikely an event is to occur or is experienced as such. The adjective usually specifies the change as swift, easily and inevitably coming or as hindered and improbable. The verb in MA-infinitive is mostly a dynamic existential verb denoting either coming into existence or ceasing from it. The subject of the sentence gets an event-like interpretation even if such meaning is not a primary one for the respective NP (c. f. petlik mulje ‘false impression’, haavad ‘wounds’). This specific variant is then due to its specific semantic features analysed as an extension in respect to the more general Estonian construction X is ADJ V-MAINF.
ER  -

HEBEDOVÁ, Petra. Experiencing time in Estonian constructions with an adjective and an MA-infinitive. \textit{Baltistica}. Vilnius, 2020, vol.~55, No~1, p.~159-179. ISSN~0132-6503. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.15388/baltistica.55.1.2372.

Detailed Information on Publication Record