Small and many: German diminutive verbs
| Autoři | |
|---|---|
| Rok publikování | 2026 |
| Druh | Další prezentace na konferencích |
| Citace | |
| Popis | This study investigates German so-called diminutive verbs (DMVs), traditionally associated with attenuation and iterativity and typically formed with the suffix -el. By comparing -el verbs with less-studied -er formations, the paper argues that DMVs do not constitute a uniform class. Instead, at least three distinct subtypes can be identified, differing in their aspectual interpretation and underlying syntactic structure. Adopting a nanosyntactic approach, the analysis proposes that these differences follow from variation in the size and shape of lexical entries and their interaction with aspectual projections. The findings also highlight a broader connection between nominal and verbal domains, while suggesting that the semantic contribution of diminutive morphology extends beyond simple “smallness” to include event-related meanings such as iterativity, habituality, and individuation. |
| Související projekty: |