Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:07:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JoseLC.pdf: 910090 bytes, checksum: 4d440a102e87fad24d4f6bb764003622 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-12-07 / This work aims at under the cognitive-functional perspective describing, inside the vast domain of the linguistic prefabs, the structure and the functioning of the Idiomatic Verb Phrases (SVIs), produced by speakers of the Portuguese from Brazil, located in Natal (RN). From the functionalist presupposition that the language is used essentially to assist to communicative demands, it is observed that its morphologic-syntactic structure is conditioned to the inherent pragmatic vicissitudes to the verbal interaction of subjects, socially heterogeneous and historically established. It is focalized, in the composition of SVIs, the relationships VT + OD (transitive verb + direct object), characterizing the syntactic-semantic nature of the verb and of the respective verbal complement. Those verb combinations + complement can be interpreted as lexical structures, reflexes of the idiomaticity inherent to conventional constructions already systematized in the users' of the language cultural repertoire. It is sought, still, to glimpse the cognitive and discursive motivations pertinent to that linguistic phenomenon. In the investigative process, are analyzed exclusive data of speech collected in Corpus Discurso & Gram?tica a lingua falada e escrita na cidade do Natal, organized by Furtado da Cunha (1998). The adopted methodological procedures configure as methods of empiric analysis and use of the intuition, being emphasized the qualitative approach (explanatory) of the data with quantitative support of statistical indicators. It shows, finally, a grating of didactic suggestions on SVIs, for Portuguese's classes, as subsidies to the educational practice in the Medium Teaching and in the course of Letters. / Este trabalho objetiva sob a perspectiva cognitivo-funcional descrever, no interior do vasto dom?nio dos pr?-fabricados ling??sticos, a estrutura e o funcionamento dos sintagmas verbais idiomatizados (SVIs), produzidos por falantes do portugu?s do Brasil, situados em Natal (RN). Partindo do pressuposto funcionalista de que a l?ngua ? usada essencialmente para atender a demandas comunicativas, observa-se que a sua estrutura morfossint?tica est? condicionada ?s vicissitudes pragm?ticas inerentes ? intera??o verbal de sujeitos, socialmente heterog?neos e historicamente estabelecidos. Focaliza-se, na composi??o dos SVIs, as rela??es VT + OD, caracterizando a natureza sint?tico-sem?ntica do verbo e do respectivo complemento verbal. Essas combina??es de verbo + complemento podem ser interpretadas como estruturas lexicalizadas, reflexos da idiomaticidade inerente ?s constru??es convencionais j? sistematizadas no repert?rio cultural dos usu?rios da l?ngua. Procura-se, ainda, entrever as motiva??es cognitivas e discursivas pertinentes a esse fen?meno ling??stico. No processo investigativo, s?o analisados dados exclusivos de fala coletados no Corpus Discurso & Gram?tica a l?ngua falada e escrita na cidade do Natal, organizado por Furtado da Cunha (1998). Os procedimentos metodol?gicos adotados se configuram como m?todos de an?lise emp?rica e uso da intui??o, enfatizando-se a abordagem qualitativa (explicativa) dos dados com suporte quantitativo de indicadores estat?sticos. Apresenta-se, por fim, uma grade de sugest?es did?ticas sobre SVIs, para as aulas de portugu?s, como subs?dios ? pr?tica docente no Ensino M?dio e no curso de Letras.

Orientador: Claudia Thereza Guimarães de Lemos / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T08:59:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lodovici_FlaminiaManzanoMoreira_D.pdf: 632382 bytes, checksum: 219bf2f628c8e30507068fba919cc62f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: Este trabalho de investigação objetiva abordar a natureza da questão idiomática e a relação que, por meio dela, reclama reflexão: o jogo entre o universal do funcionamento lingüístico e as manifestações singulares de fala. A análise deixa ver que o idiomatismo é mesmo um fato de língua; resulta de um jogo combinatório no qual seu efeito de unidade se configura, e delimita-se no fluxo da fala "em ato". Não se pode propriamente prever seu sentido antes que ele se atualize numa determinada fala. A hipótese é a de que "expressões idiomáticas" se comportam como outras quaisquer no sistema: elas também estão sujeitas a operações de composição/ recomposição que renovam seu modo de fazer presença nos dizeres. Mesmo em se levando em consideração que sentidos relativos a enunciados idiomáticos podem se estabilizar no uso, o que importa é que estabilização não é sinônimo de fixidez. A investigação indica que essas "formas de significar" comportariam duplo sentido. A princípio, a tendência deste trabalho foi tomar essa característica como diferencial dos outros elementos da língua. Mas o que se impõe é reconhecer que esse é mesmo o destino de todo o dizer. Por fim, o idiomatismo exibe uma diferença, uma extravagância que parece vincular-se à sua natureza essencialmente metafórica que, por sua vez, responde pela produção de um, muitas vezes, inesperado efeito significativo / Abstract: The purpose of this study is to approach the nature of the idiomatic issue and the relation that requires reflexion: the play between the universal aspect of linguistic functioning and the unique manifestations of speech. This analysis allows you to see that idioms are actually a speech fact; they result from a combinatory play in which their unity effect is configured and bound in the speech flow in actu [en acte/in act]. Their meaning cannot be foreseen before they are materialized in a specific speech. The hypothesis is that ¿idiomatic expressions¿ behave like any others in the system: they are also subject to composition / recomposition operations which renew the manner in which they are present in the utterances. Even if we consider that senses concerning idiomatic utterances can be stabilized in usage, what really matters is that stabilization is not synonymous with immutability. Research shows that such forms of meaning attribution allow for double meaning. At first, this study was inclined to consider this as a distinguishing feature with respect to the other features of speech. But what must be acknowledged is that all utterances have the same fate. Finally, idioms show a difference, an extravagancy that seems to be linked to their essentially metaphorical nature which, in turn, is responsible for the production of a, very often, unexpected signifying effect / Doutorado / Linguistica / Doutor em Linguística

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-07-03T14:13:21Z No. of bitstreams: 1 sarabarreto.pdf: 1714725 bytes, checksum: 3e320fc0cbd06b092e653d3db925a228 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-08-08T13:00:43Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 sarabarreto.pdf: 1714725 bytes, checksum: 3e320fc0cbd06b092e653d3db925a228 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-08T13:00:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 sarabarreto.pdf: 1714725 bytes, checksum: 3e320fc0cbd06b092e653d3db925a228 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-04-18 / Esta dissertação investiga a compreensão de expressões idiomáticas do tipo verbo + complemento no português brasileiro (PB) (Ex. pintar o sete, passar a bola). Na literatura psicolinguística, identificamos diferentes abordagens relativas à representação, ao acesso e ao processamento de expressões idiomáticas. Segundo modelos de acesso direto, expressões seriam compreendidas a partir da recuperação de seu sentido plenamente disponível no léxico (GIBBS, 1980, 1985, 1986), enquanto outras abordagens pontuam que o acesso ocorra de forma indireta ou mediada (BOBROW & BELL, 1973; WEINREICH, 1969). Há, ainda, propostas que defendem a ocorrência do acesso em paralelo dos sentidos literal e figurado (ESTILL & KEMPER, 1982; SWINNEY & CUTLER, 1979), bem como visões que enfatizam a relevância de se atentar para certas propriedades internas e externas das expressões idiomáticas (Ex. grau de composicionalidade e de cristalização da expressão e contexto discursivo prévio) para uma melhor compreensão do modo como as mesmas seriam processadas (GIORA, 1997, 1999; BOWDLE & GENTNER, 2005). Nossa pesquisa está alinhada com esse último tipo de visão que questiona a possibilidade de uma abordagem categórica que possa dar conta do processamento de toda e qualquer expressão sem levar em consideração aspectos específicos envolvidos em cada caso. Expressões idiomáticas são tipicamente caracterizadas como combinações fixas e não composicionais nas quais o sentido idiomático não constitui uma função da soma das partes. O grau de decomponibilidade das mesmas, entretanto, é variável (GIBBS, 1989): em alguns casos, as partes colaboram na construção do sentido figurado, em outras, essa contribuição não é clara. Em expressões como passar a bola, por exemplo, percebe-se uma maior decomponibilidade do que em dar zebra ou em pintar o sete. Assumimos nesta pesquisa que haveria, assim, um espectro de idiomaticidade. Este trabalho pretende explorar em que medida o grau de idiomaticidade afeta a compreensão das expressões. Buscamos ainda investigar o papel da familiaridade do falante com a expressão e do contexto prévio em que as expressões aparecem e avaliar até que ponto esses fatores interagem entre si no processamento. Foram conduzidos dois experimentos visando a investigar essas questões. No Experimento 1 foi utilizada uma tarefa de maze (leitura automonitorada em forma de “labirinto”) na qual o segmento crítico era relativo à complementação do verbo: complemento idiomático vs. literal (Ex. abrir o coração/a porta). O Experimento 2, inspirado no estudo de Cacciari e Tabossi (1988), foi idealizado a partir do paradigma de priming intermodal (cross-modal priming), por meio de uma tarefa de decisão lexical em que a palavra alvo poderia ser relacionada idiomaticamente, literalmente ou não relacionada à expressão idiomática (Ex. passar a bola – palavra alvo: responsabilidade – futebolista – helicóptero). Tomados em conjunto, os resultados obtidos revelaram efeitos estatisticamente significativos das três variáveis investigadas, sugerindo que o grau de idiomaticidade, a familiaridade do falante com a expressão e o contexto prévio afetam o processamento das expressões e, portanto, devem ser considerados num modelo que vise a explicitar a representação, o acesso e a compreensão dessas estruturas. / This dissertation investigate the comprehension of verb + complement idioms in Brazilian Portuguese (e.g. passar a bola, pintar o sete – literal meaning: “to pass the ball” and “to paint the seven”; figurative meaning: “to delegate responsibility” and “to make a mess”). In Psycholinguistic literature, different approaches related to the representation, the access and the processing of idioms can be recognized. According to direct access models, idioms would be understood from the retrieval of their fully available meaning in the lexicon (GIBBS,1980, 1985, 1986), while other approaches point out that the access occurs in an indirect or mediated way (BOBROW & BELL, 1973; WEINREICH, 1969). There are also proposals that posit that literal and figurative meaning are accessed in parallel (ESTILL & KEMPER, 1982; SWINNEY & CUTLER, 1979), as well as approaches that emphasize the relevance of certain internal and external properties of the idioms (degree of compositionality and crystallization, previous discursive context, for example) for a better understanding of their processing (GIORA, 1997, 1999; BOWDLE & GENTNER, 2005). Our research is in line with the last vision that denies the possibility of a categorical approach that can account for the processing of any expression without taking into account the specific aspects involved in each case. Idioms are typically characterized as fixed and non-compositional combinations in which meaning is not a function of the sum of the parts. The degree of compositionality, however, is variable (GIBBS, 1989): in some cases, the parts collaborate in the construction of the figurative meaning, in others, this contribution is not clear. In expressions such as passar a bola, for example, one perceives a greater decomposition than in dar zebra (literal meaning: “to give zebra”; figurative meaning: “to go wrong”) or in pintar o sete. Thus, a spectrum of idiomaticity is observed. This research intends to explore to what extent the degree of idiomaticity affects the comprehension of idioms. We also investigate the role of the speaker's familiarity with the idiom and the previous context in which the idiom appear and evaluate the extent to which these factors interact with each other in the processing. Two experiments were conducted to investigate these issues. In the Experiment 1, a maze task (self-paced reading in the form of a "labyrinth") was used. The critical segment was related to the verb complement: idiomatic complement vs. literal complement (e.g. open the heart/ the door). Experiment 2 was inspired by the research of Cacciari and Tabossi (1988), based on the cross-modal priming paradigm, and conducted by means of a lexical decision task in which the target could be related idiomatically, literally or unrelated to the idiom (e.g. passar a bola – “to pass the ball”; target words: responsibility – soccer player - helicopter). Taken together, the obtained results revealed significant effects of the three investigated variables, suggesting that the degree of idiomaticity, the speaker's familiarity with the idiom and the previous context affect the processing of the idioms and, therefore, should be considered in a model that aims to explain the representation, access and comprehension of these structures.

Cette thèse étudie la question de l'idiomaticité dans la pratique musicale de l'improvisation libre. Notre enquête débute avec une discussion sur les difficultés qu'implique toute tentative de délimiter cette activité ou de la définir en termes positifs. En effet, le produit d'une performance improvisée émerge au moment de la prestation et s'évanouit immédiatement. Ce fait a poussé de nombreux musiciens et chercheurs à classer cette pratique comme étant « non-idiomatique » (et donc comme étant résistante à l'analyse sémiotique), une désignation qui a été popularisée par Derek Bailey dans son oeuvre pionnière Improvisation. Cependant, malgré son apparent caractère insaisissable, le genre a été capable de subsister depuis plusieurs décennies et continue a se propager à de nouvelles scènes musicales à travers le monde, supporté par un ensemble relativement consistant de préoccupations idéologiques et esthétiques quiunissent et habilitent ses praticiens et admirateurs. En utilisant un modèle sémiotique triadique dans la tradition de C.S. Peirce et en considérant les différents aspects de l'improvisation libre à la lumière de sa théorie des catégories, nous sommes capables d'élaborer une analyse sémiotique des aspects émergents/évanescents de l'improvisation libre, ainsi que de ses propriétés plus durables/idiomatiques. L'improvisation libre n'est pas du tout, comme aiment l'affirmercertains, libre de toutes conventions. Un des accomplissements de cette thèse est de déconstruire de mythe de la non-idiomaticité de l'improvisation libre et de démontrer que les engagements idiomatiques particuliers de cette pratique ont tout simplement été déplacés, abandonnant pour la plupart les idiomes formels (tels des approches génériques, codifiées et reconnaissables à la tonalité et au rythme) pour privilégier des codes de conduite qui rendent l'activité cohérente et signifiante à ses participants. Les témoignages d'improvisateurs révèlent qu'ils sont largement motivés par des préoccupations et principes similaires. Quant à la valeur momentanée reconnue de n'importe quel aspect formel d'une performance improvisée, c'est grâce à l'implémentation soudaine de conventions localisées et habituellement de trèscourte durée (que nous appelons « entente ») que les musiciens arrivent à cette reconnaissance mutuelle (mais toujours contingente). Les improvisateurs tendent à vouloir déconstruire ces conventions formelle émergentes assez rapidement. Ils comptent ne laisser aucun engagement formel se solidifier au delà d'un certain caractère liminaire qu'ils jugent désirable dans le cadre de leur activité. Finalement, n'importe quel indicateur pour mesurer le succès d'une performance improvisée doit se référer soit aux principes unificateurs qui soutendent la pratique et représentent le coeur de sonidiomaticité, soit aux exigences momentanées imposées par l'entente. / This thesis studies the question of idiomaticity in the musical practice of free improvisation. Our enquiry begins with a discussion on the difficulties of delineating this activity and of defining it in positive terms. The production of improvised performances indeed emerges at the moment of its delivery and is immediately fleeting. This has led many musicians and writers to classify the practice as "non-idiomatic" (and thus resistant to semiotic analysis), a designation popularized by Derek Bailey in his pioneering book Improvisation. Yet despite its apparent elusiveness, the genre has been able to endure for several decades and keeps spreading to new music scenes throughout the world, supported by relatively consistent ideological and aesthetic preoccupations that unify and enable its practitioners and fans. By using a triadic semiotic model in the tradition of C.S. Peirce and by considering the different aspects of free improvisation in the light of his theory of categories, we are able to give a semiotic account of both the emergent/evanescent and the enduring/idiomatic aspects of free improvisation. Free improvisation is not at all, as some would hope, free from all conventions. One of the accomplishments of this thesis is to deconstruct the myth of free improvisation's non-idiomaticity and demonstrate that the practice's particular idiomatic commitments have merely been shifted away from formal idioms (such as generically codified and recognizable approaches to tonality and rhythm) and onto codes of conduct that keep the activity coherent and significant for its participants. Musician testimonies reveal that the practices of free improvisers are indeed motivated by similar underlying concerns and principles. As for agreements on the momentary value of any of the improvised performance's formal aspects, they find mutual (if contingent) recognition through short-lived localized formal conventions that we call "entente". Improvisers, however, typically playfully deconstruct these emergent formal conventions rather expeditiously; they are intent on not letting any formal commitments solidify beyond a desired liminal capacity. In the end, any gauge for the success of an improvised performance must refer either to the underlying unifying principles that make up the core of its idiomaticity or to the momentary exigencies of entente.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study seeks to identify and classify idioms in the Hebrew Bible. Based on a survey of literature on idioms in general, and in Biblical Hebrew in particular, the necessary conditions for idiomaticity are identified as (1) multi-word character, (2) semantic noncompositionality, (3) unit status, (4) conventionalisation, (5) a verbal nucleus, and (6) a content message. Restricted variability and uniqueness may also be indicative of idiomaticity, although these are not regarded as necessary conditions. Accordingly, idiom is defined as a conventionalised multi-word symbolic unit with a verbal nucleus and a content message, whose global meaning is a semantic extension of the combined meanings of its constituent elements. These criteria were applied to 1 and 2 Samuel, and 104 idioms were identified. The results suggest that the proposed definition is an effective aid to identifying idioms, with certain caveats. In line with Granger and Paquot’s phraseological classification, the multi-word character of idioms is interpreted to imply a verb plus at least one more semantic (as opposed to grammatical) element. Semantic compositionality is shown to be a complex concept that should be understood as the overall meaning of an expression being an extension of the combined meanings of its individual lexical constituents. Conventionalisation and unit status prove to be virtually impossible to determine with certainty for expressions in the Hebrew Bible. Researchers should also be aware that there is an inevitable degree of subjectivity involved in the application and interpretation of the idiom characteristics proposed in this study. A preliminary semantic classification of the idioms found in 1 and 2 Samuel is proposed, based on the lexicographical system developed by De Blois (2000) for the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew. The results of this study suggest that, with some improvements and adjustments, De Blois’s framework is suitable for classifying and representing Biblical Hebrew idioms. The greatest obstacle in using this system is shown to be the counterintuitive names of a number of categories. A complete alphabetical list of idioms from 1 and 2 Samuel is provided in Appendix A, together with the relevant semantic information for each. A classification of these idioms according to lexical semantic domains is presented and discussed in Chapter 5, while alternative ways of arranging them (viz. by contextual semantic domains, underlying conceptual metaphors, and terms for body parts) are provided in Appendices B to D. This study demonstrates that idioms are semantically motivated (by conceptual metaphor, metonymy, symbolic acts, etc.) although their meaning is semantically noncompositional. It also indicates the need for a more systematic treatment of idioms in Biblical Hebrew lexicons. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie poog om idiome in die Hebreeuse Bybel te identifiseer en te klassifiseer. Die volgende noodsaaklike voorwaardes vir idiomatisiteit is geïdentifiseer op grond van ’n oorsig van die literatuur oor idiome in die algemeen en in Bybelse Hebreeus in die besonder: (1) meerwoordigheid, (2) semantiese nie-komposisionaliteit, (3) eenheidstatus, (4) konvensionalisering, (5) ’n werkwoordelike kern en (6) ’n inhoudelike boodskap. Beperkte veranderbaarheid en uniekheid kan ook dui op idiomatisiteit, maar dit word nie as noodsaaklike voorwaardes beskou nie. Gevolglik word idioom gedefinieer as ’n gekonvensionaliseerde, meerwoordige simboliese eenheid met ’n werkwoordelike kern, waarvan die geheelbetekenis ’n semantiese uitbreiding is van die gekombineerde betekenisse van die elemente waaruit dit saamgestel is. Die bogenoemde kriteria is in 1 en 2 Samuel toegepas, en daar is 104 idiome geïdentifiseer. Die resultate dui daarop dat die voorgestelde definisie van idiomatisiteit, met inagneming van sekere voorbehoude, ’n effektiewe hulpmiddel vir die indentifisering van idiome is. In lyn met Granger en Paquot se fraseologiese klassifikasie word daar van die veronderstelling uitgegaan dat die meerwoordigheid van idiome ’n werkwoord plus minstens een ander semantiese (teenoor grammatikale) komponent behels. Daar word aangetoon dat semantiese komposisionaliteit ’n komplekse begrip is en dat dit verstaan moet word as ’n uitbreiding van die kombinasie van die betekenisse van die afsonderlike leksikale elemente waaruit ’n uitdrukking saamgestel is, om ’n geheelbetekenis te vorm. Om die konvensionalisering en eenheidstatus van uitdrukkings in die Hebreeuse Bybel met sekerheid vas te stel, blyk feitlik onmoontlik te wees. Navorsers moet ook daarvan bewus wees dat daar ’n onvermydelike mate van subjektiwiteit betrokke is by die toepassing en verstaan van die idioomkenmerke wat in die huidige studie voorgestel word. ’n Voorlopige semantiese klassifikasie van die idiome wat in 1 en 2 Samuel geïdentifiseer is, word voorgestel, gebaseer op die leksikografiese sisteem wat deur De Blois (2000) vir die Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew ontwikkel is. Die resultate van hierdie studie doen aan die hand dat De Blois se raamwerk, met ’n paar veranderinge en verbeteringe, geskik is vir die klassifisering en uiteensetting van idiome in Bybelse Hebreeus. Daar word aangetoon dat die grootste hindernis om die genoemde sisteem te gebruik, die teen-intuïtiewe benaminge van ’n aantal kategorieë is. ’n Volledige alfabetiese lys van die idiome uit 1 en 2 Samuel, met toepaslike semantiese inligting by elk, word in Bylae A aangebied. ’n Klassifikasie van hierdie idiome volgens leksikale semantiese domeine word in Hoofstuk 5 voorgehou en bespreek, terwyl alternatiewe indelings (nl. volgens kontekstuele semantiese domeine, onderliggende konsepsuele metafore en terme vir liggaamsdele) in Bylaes B tot D aangebied word. Hierdie studie toon aan dat idiome semanties gemotiveer word (deur konsepsuele metafore, metonimie, simboliese handelinge ens.), alhoewel hulle betekenis niekomposisioneel is. Die behoefte aan ’n meer sistematiese bewerking van idiome in Bybelse Hebreeuse leksikons word ook uitgewys.

<p>This study investigates the use of formulaic language in spoken French produced by native and non-native speakers. It aims at describing the development of formulaic sequences in learners ranging from beginners to very advanced users. It draws on data from the InterFra corpus, which includes both formal and semi-formal learners. Four measures are used to characterize this development: extent of formulaic language used, category distribution, type / token ratio and frequency of types. </p><p>It has been shown that a user’s knowledge of formulaic sequences impacts heavily on language proficiency and idiomaticity. Because these sequences follow neither grammatical nor lexical rules, they constitute the last threshold for advanced L2 learners. In second language acquisition, the term formulaic sequence not only applies to strict idiomatic constructions, but it is also used to refer to sequences that appear to be acquired in a holistic manner during the first phases of acquisition. A categorization is therefore proposed that can account for native and non-native usage of formulaic sequences (prefabs). Five categories of prefabs are included: Lexical, Grammatical, Discourse, Situational and Idiosyncratic. </p><p>The extent of a learner’s use of formulaic language increases as the learner progresses, the largest amount found in the production of native speakers and very advanced learners. The learner’s distribution of categories moves towards native speaker distribution, albeit slowly. Situational and Idiosyncratic prefabs are found to characterize the early phases of acquisition, while Lexical prefabs are mastered later and are a major difficulty for L2 learners. Only very advanced learners who have spent considerable time in France produce the same proportion of Lexical prefabs as native speakers. Discourse prefabs constitute the most important category for all groups, including natives and non-natives. It can therefore be postulated that the main function of formulaic sequences in spoken French is that of discourse structuring and speech management. The development and use of formulaic language is explained within a framework of Frequency Effects. Coupled with other factors, frequency can account for why Lexical prefabs are hard to acquire and why formulaic sequences take a long time to master.</p> / The thesis is published and can be purchased by Peter Lang http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?vID=11369&vLang=E&vHR=1&vUR=1&vUUR=38

Existing research on phrasal verbs is ample due to their prevalent existence in the English language and the difficulties they bring out as a result of their lack of transparency (Liu, 2011, p. 661). However, more research is necessary to cover new generations of English learners who cross paths with phrasal verbs. This study will provide empirical information on (i) whether Swedish students in 7th -9 th grade understand frequently used phrasal verbs better than nonfrequent ones, (ii) if phrasal verbs are easier to understand in productive- or perceptive tasks, (iii) if the students’ first languages (L1) interfere with this understanding, or (iv) if there is a difference in understanding phrasal verbs which are more common in AmE or BrE. The factors of second language acquisition taken into account in the analysis are explicit and implicit exposure of English, English varieties, crosslinguistic influences and idiomaticity. Chameliec &amp; Weiss (2008, p. 381) define a phrasal verb as “a simple verb combined with an adverb or a preposition, or sometimes both, to make a new verb with a meaning that is different from that of the simple verb, e.g., go in for, win over, blow up”. The data was elicited with a questionnaire in three parts: one part about the participants background information and two parts on phrasal verb understanding, both in contextualized examples and without context. In the analysis, factors such as the construction of the questionnaire and choice of phrasal verbs need to be considered. The results demonstrate that Swedish junior high school students understand about 50% of the tested phrasal verbs in both parts of the questionnaire. More frequent ones are easier to understand, more so the AmE PVs, and the perceptive task generated a slightly higher percentage of correct answers. The textbooks did not have explicit sections on phrasal verbs, or even formulaic expressions in general. However, the books contained vocabulary boxes with a few different phrasal verbs, which also occurred in the texts. Since no explicit teaching method has been applied in these classes, doing so might increase the general frequency of correct answers. Furthermore, no conclusive results can be made regarding crosslinguistic influences, however, hypotheses on positive transfer can be made.

This study aims at examining in detail the linguistic characteristics of sentential idioms (‘idiomatische Sätze’, IS) in German, e.g. Das kannst du dir an den Hut stecken.; Du hast wohl Tomaten auf den Augen!; Da lachen ja die Hühner!. In theoretically and empirically investigating their syntactic, semantic and pragmatic features and productive potential, it is shown that IS can only be described properly by looking at the interfaces between syntax, semantics, and pragmatics, and by systematically investigating pattern formation. In this respect, the study goes far beyond traditional phraseological research. As a theoretical background, the study refers to research on phraseology, sentence types and sentence mood, linguistic evaluation, morphological productivity, and the frameworks of Construction Grammar and Relevance Theory. Empirical evidence comes from a large corpus of written German, a linguistic experiment on productivity, and introspective data. With respect to syntax, the study shows that IS are bound to one or a few different sentence types, varying according to the degree of restriction of their speech act potential. The complex semantics of IS is shown to consist not only of a literal and an idiomatic, but also of a third, mediating representational level. The idiomatic meaning of IS is described as evaluative meaning. Pragmatically, IS are dependent on special contextual environments to obtain a proper interpretation. A context model is developed which makes use of certain categories of evaluation. Moreover, a relevance-theoretic approach is sketched in order to explain which functional advantages IS might have compared to non-idiomatic utterances. With respect to productivity, ten different idiomatic patterns of construction are identified and described in detail. It is experimentally demonstrated that these patterns are productive to a greater or lesser degree dependent on their internal syntactic, lexical, semantic and pragmatic features.

This study investigates the use of formulaic language in spoken French produced by native and non-native speakers. It aims at describing the development of formulaic sequences in learners ranging from beginners to very advanced users. It draws on data from the InterFra corpus, which includes both formal and semi-formal learners. Four measures are used to characterize this development: extent of formulaic language used, category distribution, type / token ratio and frequency of types. It has been shown that a user’s knowledge of formulaic sequences impacts heavily on language proficiency and idiomaticity. Because these sequences follow neither grammatical nor lexical rules, they constitute the last threshold for advanced L2 learners. In second language acquisition, the term formulaic sequence not only applies to strict idiomatic constructions, but it is also used to refer to sequences that appear to be acquired in a holistic manner during the first phases of acquisition. A categorization is therefore proposed that can account for native and non-native usage of formulaic sequences (prefabs). Five categories of prefabs are included: Lexical, Grammatical, Discourse, Situational and Idiosyncratic. The extent of a learner’s use of formulaic language increases as the learner progresses, the largest amount found in the production of native speakers and very advanced learners. The learner’s distribution of categories moves towards native speaker distribution, albeit slowly. Situational and Idiosyncratic prefabs are found to characterize the early phases of acquisition, while Lexical prefabs are mastered later and are a major difficulty for L2 learners. Only very advanced learners who have spent considerable time in France produce the same proportion of Lexical prefabs as native speakers. Discourse prefabs constitute the most important category for all groups, including natives and non-natives. It can therefore be postulated that the main function of formulaic sequences in spoken French is that of discourse structuring and speech management. The development and use of formulaic language is explained within a framework of Frequency Effects. Coupled with other factors, frequency can account for why Lexical prefabs are hard to acquire and why formulaic sequences take a long time to master. / The thesis is published and can be purchased by Peter Lang http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?vID=11369&vLang=E&vHR=1&vUR=1&vUUR=38

Disertační práce Porovnávání středoevropských jazyků: za horizont strukturních rysů a lexikálních přejímek se soustředí na zhodnocení a přehodnocení přístupu k výzkumu jazyků střední Evropy. Hlavním cílem předkládané práce je (1) podat přehled dosavadních poznatků o porovnávání středoevropských jazyků, (2) na jeho základě naznačit možné nové směřování němu přispět. Druhá kapitola práce se věnuje areálové lingvistice, jakožto disciplíně zaměřené na výzkum podobnosti a konvergence geograficky blízkých jazyků, a zejména jejímu ústřednímu pojmu . Představuje okolnosti jeho vzniku, jeho různé definice a jeho kritické (pře)hodnocení pracích současných areálových lingvistů. Třetí kapitola sumarizuje výzkum středoevropských jazyků: různé koncepce středoevropského (popř. dunajského) jazykového svazu vzájemné vlivy lexika a frazeologie těchto jazyků a popisy situací jazykového kontaktu v areálu. Tento přehled ukázal, že hlavními doménami porovnávání jazyků areálu dosud byly strukturní rysy a lexikální přejímky a kalky. Novější vývoj lingvistiky, jak je naznačeno ve čtvrté kapitole, však operuje rovněž s jazykovými jednotkami, které překlenují a relativizují -lexikon. Nabízí se tedy, aby se rovněž komparativní výzkum středoevropských jazyků soustředil na tyto jevy zahrnutelné pod pojem idiomatičnosti. Pátá kapitola...