Naslov
Middle Constructions in English and Croatian

Autori
Kučanda, Dubravko

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Poglavlja u knjigama, znanstveni

Knjiga
The First Twenty-five Years of English Studies in Osijek

Urednik/ci
Petrović, Elvira

Izdavač
Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku

Grad
Osijek

Godina
2002

Raspon stranica
91-113

ISBN
953-6456-28-1

Ključne riječi
English grammar, grammatical constructions, middle construction, reflexives, passive voice, ergative construction, Functional Grammar

Sažetak
Linguists have long recognized that there is a semantic, as well as a syntactic difference between (1) and (2): (1) American cars handle like oil tankers. (2) The ice melted in the sun. Regardless of the theoretical framework and the terminology used, most scholars agree that (1) has generic meaning and that it implies the existence of an unspecified Agent, whereas (2) does not. Their Croatian counterparts (1)a and (2)a have generally been subsumed under the study of “reflexives” because of the presence of the reflexive particle se. (1)a Američkim se autima upravlja kao tankerima za naftu. (2)a Led se otopio na suncu. This paper examines the syntactic and semantic differences between the English and Croatian constructions and attempts to show that the same process is at work in both languages in spite of the differences: both constructions are used as a means of Agent demotion and Patient promotion to topic.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Filologija

POVEZANOST RADA