ADDITIONAL MEANINGS OF CAUSAL MARKERS IN POLYPREDICATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS
DOI: 10.23951/2307-6119-2020-2-18-29
The paper deals with the semantics of causal markers in polypredicative constructions; it is based on an areally and genetically balanced sample of 100 languages (Africa – 14 languages, Eurasia – 8 languages, Southeast Asia & Oceania – 13 languages, Australia & New Guinea – 27 languages, North America – 18 languages; South America – 20 languages; where the number of languages taken from each family depends on its size). The research is based on typologically oriented grammars, language descriptions, corpus data and consultations with language experts. It turns out that apart from their basic causal meaning, causal markers can express other additional meanings in the Reason clause, in the Result clause or in both of them. To my knowledge, a number of these parameters have never been mentioned in typological studies of polypredicative causal constructions. The most frequently mentioned additional meaning was evaluation, widely attested in European languages. Both positive and negative evaluation usually refers to the Reason clause and the Result clause at the same time, but in some cases, it can refer to only one of the clauses. The other parameters include: the degree of control of the Reason and Result; conformity or non-conformity of Result to the hearer’s expectations; the reality/objectivity of Reason; emphasis on the Motive vs. the Causer; greater or smaller temporal distance between the propositions; degree of causal relationship between the propositions; and critical attitude toward the causal relationship in polypredicative constructions. Causal markers can combine two additional meanings as well. The fact that most of the additional meanings were attested in languages of Eurasia and Southeast Asia & Oceania can be explained in two ways. First, the languages of these Macroareas are well-described, and, second, both Macroareas possess a larger number of causal markers, typical of written texts, sometimes having additional semantic features.
Keywords: polypredicative constructions, semantics, reason, motive, consequence, evaluation, control, reality
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Issue: 2, 2020
Series of issue: Issue 2
Rubric: LINGUISTICS
Pages: 18 — 29
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