On Functions of Verbal Nouns in Old and Middle Czech Cover Image

K funkčnímu využití verbálních substantiv ve staré a střední češtině
On Functions of Verbal Nouns in Old and Middle Czech

Author(s): Jiří Pergler
Subject(s): Theoretical Linguistics
Published by: Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci
Keywords: verbal noun; word formation; Old Czech; Middle Czech; action noun

Summary/Abstract: The paper deals with the functions of verbal nouns in Old and Middle Czech, analyzing the onomasiological categories that are employed with these nouns. As in contemporary Czech, action nouns represent by far the most frequent (paradigmatic) category; however, there are some differences between them and their contemporary-Czech counterparts, among which different valence possibilities stand out. Other frequently represented categories are nouns of results, means, qualities and places, the rest of the categories (such as agent nouns) being rather marginal. The article shows that this arrangement of categories (including their paradigmaticity) is not accidental but corresponds to the general relations between thesec ategories, which are reflected in the distribution of a number of other derivative formants. These relations have been previously described by a semantic map; this paper shows that the semantic map methodology might be a useful tool also for the analysis of the degree of paradigmaticity ofonomasiological categories in word formation.

  • Issue Year: 9/2017
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 56-70
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Czech