semantic classifications of predicate clauses

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Stirling Bartholomew
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Joined: August 9th, 2012, 4:19 pm

semantic classifications of predicate clauses

Post by Stirling Bartholomew »

Evert van Emde Boas & Luuk Huitink [1] breakdown a certain subgroup(blue) of complex sentences into 12 semantic categories. I have read their discussion of this several times and it is not easy to give a synopsis. I haven't seen this in any other grammar. Perhaps someone else has found a more lucid presentation somewhere[2]. Actually each sentence in the presentation is lucid but what I am having difficulty doing is putting it all together.

predicates - entering into syntactic relationships with predicates forming complex sentences
verbal complementation

Is this semantic classification something we "need to know" or can I just ignore it?

I have not problem understanding the breakdown of semantic classifications, where I run into trouble is on page 144 paragraph two, "Some semantic consequences … " this paragraph makes some sweeping generalizations which sound very convincing but remind me of other such paragraphs which sounded very good until you tested them against actual usage.

[1]
Provider: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Content:text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

TY - CHAP
TI - Syntax
AU - van Emde Boas, Evert
AU - Huitink, Luuk
PB - Wiley-Blackwell
SN - 9781444317398
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781444317398.ch10
DO - 10.1002/9781444317398.ch10
SP - 134
EP - 150
KW - study of syntax - with the ways words are combined to form sentences
KW - basic features of Greek sentence structure and terminology
KW - sentence core - optional causal adverbial modifier as a form of preposition-phrase
KW - syntactic relationships in Greek - expressed by nominal case-endings
KW - peculiarities of Greek case system - five cases, distilled from Indo-European eight-case system
KW - noun phrases - the article and attributive modifiers
KW - predicates - entering into syntactic relationships with predicates forming complex sentences
KW - verbal complementation
KW - adverbial relations between predicates - expressed by same means as complementary ones
KW - Greek word order - insurmountable problems for traditional methods of syntactic description
T2 - A Companion to the Ancient Greek Language
PY - 2010
AB - This chapter contains sections titled:

* Introduction
* Cases and Agreement
* Noun Phrases: The Article, Attributive Modifiers
* The Verb: Mood, Voice, and Tense-Aspect
* Complex Sentences
* Word Order
* Further Reading
ER -
[2] They cite a work by Cristofaro, Sonia. 2003. Subordination. (Oxford Studies in Typology and Linguistic Theory.) Oxford: Oxford University Press. But doesn't look like it has anything particularly to do with the Greek language.
C. Stirling Bartholomew
Stephen Carlson
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Re: semantic classifications of predicate clauses

Post by Stephen Carlson »

This is the first I've heard of it. I've got access to both works and it appears to be one possible categorization, designed to facilliate cross-linguistic comparison. If your theoretical approach is functional-typological, you may find it useful.

At any rate, the key distinction appears to be between predicational and propositional complements. For infinitives they claim this corresoponds to a distinction between dynamic and declarative infinitives, respectively, in which the former expresses only aspect while the latter express relative tense.

As this claim is novel to me, I don't know if it's true and I would have to test it, assuming its possible to make their basic distinction in the first place.
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Melbourne, Australia
Stirling Bartholomew
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Joined: August 9th, 2012, 4:19 pm

Re: semantic classifications of predicate clauses

Post by Stirling Bartholomew »

Thanks Stephen,

It was worth the ILL request for reading the chapter on Syntax. Lots of review of familiar material but well written and concise summaries. Some new material. Perhaps the authors will be publishing other things of interest.
C. Stirling Bartholomew
Stephen Carlson
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Re: semantic classifications of predicate clauses

Post by Stephen Carlson »

By the way, the Syntax chapter is also available on-line at academia.edu here: https://www.academia.edu/5769876/Syntax

I've been finding for a quite while now that a lot of articles and chapters are uploaded by academics to academia.edu. At any rate, if he does publish more, he may upload it too.
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Melbourne, Australia
Stirling Bartholomew
Posts: 1141
Joined: August 9th, 2012, 4:19 pm

Re: semantic classifications of predicate clauses

Post by Stirling Bartholomew »

Stephen Carlson wrote:By the way, the Syntax chapter is also available on-line at academia.edu here: https://www.academia.edu/5769876/Syntax

I've been finding for a quite while now that a lot of articles and chapters are uploaded by academics to academia.edu. At any rate, if he does publish more, he may upload it too.

Hey that's great. Now we can all read it and talk about it. I keep forgetting that academia.edu doesn't cost me anything.
C. Stirling Bartholomew
MAubrey
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Re: semantic classifications of predicate clauses

Post by MAubrey »

For what it's worth (and if you can read the appropriate languages, Sonia Cristofaro's dissertation is explicitly on Greek subordinate clauses. She also has plenty of individual article on Greek infinitives and the like as well. The typological-oriented monograph referred to here has a substantial number of Ancient Greek examples--or at least substantial considering the norm.

Cristofaro, S. (1996) Aspetti sintattici e semantici delle frasi completive in greco antico, Firenze: La Nuova Italia.

Cristofaro, S. (2008) A constructional approach to complementation: evidence from Ancient Greek.Linguistics 46, 571-606.

I have a pdf of the latter article, if anyone's interested.

Also this one: http://books.google.ca/books?id=kzhHThI ... es&f=false
Mike Aubrey, Linguist
SIL International
Koine-Greek.com
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