Intensity, reduplication, and pluractionality in Ancient Greek
This paper deals with the manifestation of intensity in the verbal system of Ancient Greek, where both the present and the perfect include marginal and recessive groups of ‘intensive’ verbs marked by reduplication. These forms involve unresolved questions concerning their origin, the semantics of in...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3
2017-09-01
|
| Series: | Lexis: Journal in English Lexicology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/lexis/1117 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849326488081399808 |
|---|---|
| author | Elisabetta Magni |
| author_facet | Elisabetta Magni |
| author_sort | Elisabetta Magni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper deals with the manifestation of intensity in the verbal system of Ancient Greek, where both the present and the perfect include marginal and recessive groups of ‘intensive’ verbs marked by reduplication. These forms involve unresolved questions concerning their origin, the semantics of intensification and the linguistic devices used to convey this notion. The investigation focuses on a peculiar set of Homeric verbs that, although they are classified as perfects, describe ongoing processes and differ from the presents only in the intensity that characterizes the events. The discussion highlights the inadequacy of the label ‘intensive perfect’ and proposes an analysis based on the connections between intensification, reduplication and pluractionality. It will be argued that intensity can be addressed as pertaining to event plurality, and that a number of examples with ‘abnormal’ perfects can find a unifying explanation when interpreted as encoding different types of pluractional meanings. The semantic maps illustrating the intersections between the diachronic paths of reduplication and the domain of event plurality will clarify the functions and the evolution of the Homeric perfects. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f112a2f3ef0c449cbfa6bab052fa2e85 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1951-6215 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2017-09-01 |
| publisher | Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Lexis: Journal in English Lexicology |
| spelling | doaj-art-f112a2f3ef0c449cbfa6bab052fa2e852025-08-20T03:48:07ZengUniversité Jean Moulin - Lyon 3Lexis: Journal in English Lexicology1951-62152017-09-011010.4000/lexis.1117Intensity, reduplication, and pluractionality in Ancient GreekElisabetta MagniThis paper deals with the manifestation of intensity in the verbal system of Ancient Greek, where both the present and the perfect include marginal and recessive groups of ‘intensive’ verbs marked by reduplication. These forms involve unresolved questions concerning their origin, the semantics of intensification and the linguistic devices used to convey this notion. The investigation focuses on a peculiar set of Homeric verbs that, although they are classified as perfects, describe ongoing processes and differ from the presents only in the intensity that characterizes the events. The discussion highlights the inadequacy of the label ‘intensive perfect’ and proposes an analysis based on the connections between intensification, reduplication and pluractionality. It will be argued that intensity can be addressed as pertaining to event plurality, and that a number of examples with ‘abnormal’ perfects can find a unifying explanation when interpreted as encoding different types of pluractional meanings. The semantic maps illustrating the intersections between the diachronic paths of reduplication and the domain of event plurality will clarify the functions and the evolution of the Homeric perfects.https://journals.openedition.org/lexis/1117pluractionalityreduplicationintensityperfectancient Greek |
| spellingShingle | Elisabetta Magni Intensity, reduplication, and pluractionality in Ancient Greek Lexis: Journal in English Lexicology pluractionality reduplication intensity perfect ancient Greek |
| title | Intensity, reduplication, and pluractionality in Ancient Greek |
| title_full | Intensity, reduplication, and pluractionality in Ancient Greek |
| title_fullStr | Intensity, reduplication, and pluractionality in Ancient Greek |
| title_full_unstemmed | Intensity, reduplication, and pluractionality in Ancient Greek |
| title_short | Intensity, reduplication, and pluractionality in Ancient Greek |
| title_sort | intensity reduplication and pluractionality in ancient greek |
| topic | pluractionality reduplication intensity perfect ancient Greek |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/lexis/1117 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elisabettamagni intensityreduplicationandpluractionalityinancientgreek |