РОЛЬ ПРЕДЛОЖНЫХ ЧАСТИЦ С ПРОСТРАНСТВЕННЫМ ЗНАЧЕНИЕМ В ФОРМИРОВАНИИ СЕМАНТИКИ НЕМЕЦКИХ РАЗГОВОРНЫХ ГЛАГОЛЬНЫХ ЕДИНИЦ

Научная статья
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18454/RULB.6.41
Выпуск: № 2 (6), 2016
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Аннотация

Цель данной статьи заключается в том, чтобы проанализировать роль и место немецких приглагольных частиц предложного характера в процессе вербализации понятийной категории «пространство». В качестве примера в статье представлены результаты исследования семантических и функциональных особенностей немецкой приглагольной частицы aus-, выполненного на материале разговорной лексики немецкого языка с привлечением приемов словообразовательного и когнитивного анализа. Через обращение к этимологии приглагольной частицы и семантике соответствующего предлога выявляются потенциальные когнитивно-семантические возможности частицы aus-. Далее описывается система значений приглагольной частицы, которые формируются вокруг пространственного инварианта и рассматриваются как прямо или косвенно обусловленные существованием этого инварианта: «удаление из чего-либо, освобождение объекта от чего-либо», «расширение, увеличение объекта в размерах», «распространение, хаотичное движение», «отделение, исключение объекта из общего числа объектов», «отсутствие», «окончание процесса», «отмена, ликвидация объекта», «снабжение объекта чем-либо». Кроме того, в исследовании выявляются основные словообразовательные модели глагольных единиц с участием анализируемого компонента: глагольные единицы с локативным значением и глагольные единицы с эгрессивным значением. В рамках выявленных моделей предпринимается попытка проанализировать специфику и закономерности трансформации семантики приглагольного компонента в зависимости от семантики производящего глагола.

Introduction

The term “preverbal units of prepositional character” combines the units with the syncretic character which, in form and semantics, correlates with independent particles and prepositions, however, being a part of verbal units they do have the function of prefix (they specify and modify the meaning of the productive verb) and the abstract charter.

The system of German preverbal units of prepositional character is characterized by the common semantic features. The interaction of structural-semantic and functional characteristics of the German preverbal units with prepositional character can be clearly shown by the example of the separately taken component aus-. The analysis was conducted on the German colloquial words. The main methods which were used are vocabulary definitions, the method of component analysis, the method of word-formation analysis and the method of conceptual analysis.

Brief characteristic of the German preverbal units in structural–semantic and cognitive aspects

The semantic resemblance of the German preverbal units as the components of the verbal units can be traced at the level of etymological research. The following regularity should be marked out:

  1. Preverbal units of prepositional character correlate with structure and semantics with homonymous prepositions which originally have spatial meaning and rooted in Old High German. After some time the spatial meaning of these prepositions and adverbs was metaphorized which led to led to the appearing of temporal and modal meanings. The same process took place with preverbal prepositional particles.
  2. From the cognitive point of view prepositional particles of spatial meaning as well as similar prepositions express archetypal symbols – essence “ <...> which have the same or very similar meanings for the majority if not for the whole humanity” [5:98] and are able to actualize the idea of certain spatial relations in the minds of German speaking people. Moreover, verbalization of spatial relations, verbal units with prepositional particles of spatial semantics are regularly used to express other metaphoric ideas such as association of time with space that can become topical in derivative meanings of most preverbal prepositional particles. This property is explained from one side (linguistically) by their common semantics and from another (conceptually) by the fact that the system of spatial relations becomes a model for representing and sorting a number of notions related to other systems such as “time”, “emotions, feelings, psychical condition”, “acquisition and deprivation”, etc. [4:396]. The idea about essence related to various concept systems that make prepositional particles topical as first components of verbal units, can be seen in preverbal particles semantics and this calls for their heuristic semantics.
  3. Another regularity which is common for all German prepositional particles is that the meaning structure of the preverbal particle saves the spatial invariant together with a considerably ramified system of derived meanings.
  4. Under marked metaphoric (seldomly used metonymic) meanings of derivatives in the semantics of preverbal particles one can find the similarity of the mechanisms of metaphoric and metonymic transformations: during the formation of derivative meanings, the meaning of movement or being in the space transfers from specific field into abstract one. Further analysis and shifting the meaning from abstract ideas lead to the meaning transformation in the field of emotions.
  5. Intensifying meaning is typical in general for all preverbal components as the word-formation elements of colloquial speech and has augmentative character, i.e. points to quantitative indication change. First of all, preverbal particles have augmentative function joining the stem of the verbs with the same semes “acquisition”, “deprivation” or “repeating action”. So called “seme doubling” breaks the rule of interword valency and intensifies the lexeme emotionality.

General semantic characteristic of the German prepositional particle aus-

The analyzed preverbal particle aus- semantically and nominally corresponds with the preposition aus and the adverb aus, which mean the movement outside from inside. Semantic similarity of the analyzed preverbal component and its homonymous part of speech, particularly of the adverb, can be historically explained by the fact that unlike East German and North German languages, the preposition aus and the adverb aus (ahd., mhd. ūʒ, mnd. ūt) since 8th century have been in use simultaneously. In Low German variant the preposition aus in independent use has gradually been substituted for homonymous adverb that with time takes the role of the detachable verbal units component while keeping its meanings system [3]. For example, the adverb aus has main meaning “to stop, to finish” which is not typical for the preposition aus, but can be found among the meanings realized by this preverbal component. As a result of semantic concretization, the “switch off” appeared. In these meanings aus has imperative connotation. Other meanings of the adverb aus are coherent and reflect an abstract idea about the movement outside while focusing on the initial point of the movement start: “to start movement from somewhere” (von etw. aus), according to somebody’s opinion (a person as an initial point of “movement” – thought)” (von mir aus) [2, P.170].

Apart from the spatial meaning of the preposition aus, it has figurative meanings which are based on the abstract idea of the movement from the closed space that is interpreted as an initial point of the movement or its source: in this way such meanings as “origin of time and space” (er kommt aus Hamburg; ein Werk aus dem Jahr 1750), “disturbance or change of condition” (aus dem Schlaf; aus dem Gleichgewicht). In another figurative meaning “because of something” the preposition aus means inner reason for an action, condition or feeling which is the reason for an action (aus Angst). Under the source one can comprehend the material used for making a thing, previous condition or state which resulted in the development of the situation (aus der Raupe entwickeln sich Schmetterlinge) [2, P.170].

The main meaning of the preverbal particle aus as well as of the similar preposition in the German vocabulary is the locative meaning “movement outside from inside”. The idea about movement going from a point that limits the object correlates with the idea of the abstract movement toward spacious zone and getting rid of the things that disturb and keeps the object in its physical and psychical manifestation (auspusten - 1. blow out; 2. breathe out (pusten - coll. breathe)).

The characteristic features of the semantics of the preverbal particle aus- in the structure of the colloquial verbal units

 Considering the word formation of the colloquial verbal vocabulary, metaphoric idea about the movement “from closed space outside” is realized in the following meanings of the preverbal particle aus-:

  1. The meaning “moving away from somewhere or releasing the object from somewhere by moving away” (auskramen - 1. take out (something from somewhere); 2. to empty, to release (from something); 3. to give away secrets (syn., coll. kramen – to rummage (in searching of smth)). This meaning can be specified through last semes “cleansing, devastation” or “creation, production of smth”. In this case as the addition to the verbal unit comes the object at the devastation, cleansing or creation of which the action is directed (ausklamüsern – make out, create (through long reflection and ideas) (n.-g. klamüsern – to reflect, to ponder over smth)).
  2.  The meaning “extension, enlarge in size” (ausleiern - 1. to strain, to give away) is based on the idea of directed movement from initial point.
  3. The meaning “spreading”, “movement in different directions” which is supplemented by the semes “chaotic condition”, “miscoordination” (austollen, sich – to be tired of running about, to roughhouse (tollen – to go wild, to make noise)).
  4. The meaning “release, separation, excluding from certain amount or quantity” (ausrangieren – to sort, separate from, to sort out (rangieren - 1. to order trains, to sort (carriges); 2. to stand in order; 3. to line up)).
  5. The meaning “absence” basing on the idea that metonymic interpretation of the meaning “movement outside” implicates the idea of being outside the closed area, absence from the room (ausbleiben – to be absent, to make smb wait for smb).
  6. The meaning “finishing of a process, activity” which is based on the associations of the room emptying after the object’s movement outside (auskurieren – to cure, (kurieren – to cure)).
  7. The meaning “abolition, elimination, liquidation” (ausmachen - 1. to switch on, to switch off; 2. to extinguish) is implicated by the finishing process idea.
  8. The meaning “full provision, supply of the object by smth”. Perhaps, the inner seme “action completion, finishing of the movement period” which accompanies the main meaning of the preverbal component aus-, is the basis for new meaning formation (auskleistern - 1. to glue over; 2. to glue ( kleistern - coll. to glue)). 

It should be mentioned that playing the role of the component of the colloquial verbal units, the particle aus- realizes specific spatial seme rather infrequently.

The role of the prepositional particle aus- in the formation of the general word formative semantics of the colloquial verbal units

The analysis of the word formative meaning of the German colloquial verbal units with the component aus- makes it possible to conclude that according to this criterion one can single out two main models: verbal units with locative meaning and verbal units with egressive  meaning among which can be found units with augmentative meaning. At the same time, the term locative word formative meaning should be understood rather widely because the cases of metaphorization of the meaning of movement in the space outside from inside in word forming of the colloquial verbal units can be found rather often.

Verbal units with locative meaning

This group includes rather few verbal units with the movement in the space meaning, their word formative meaning corresponds with the wording “moving outside from inside in the way that is defined by the verbal stem”. Spatial meaning can be both direct and figurative, abstract. (ausrangieren). In the meaning of such verbal units there is a seme “one time action” (3): auslutschen – to suck dry (lutschen – to suck, to suck out), auskramen - 1. to take out (smth from somewhere); 2. to empty, to free (from smth); 3. to give away (syn. coll. kramen - to rummage, in search of smth)).

An independent subgroup includes verbal units in the meaning of which the result is expressed more than in the units mentioned above. Their word formative meaning can be described by the wording “to get smth by producing”. The derive stem in this case means the result of producing – getting smth, acquiring smth (3): ausbekommen - 1. to get out with difficulty; 2. (coll.) to eat up; 3. (coll.) to read up (bekommen – to get), auskriegen - 1. to get out with difficulty; 2. (coll.) to eat up; 3. (coll.) to read up (kriegen – coll. to get).

Verbal units with egressive meaning

In the basis of the resultative meaning of the units of this group there are metaphorized spatial semes that make the core of the semantics of the preverbal particle aus-. In some cases they are not strongly presented but in egressive semes they dominate clearly. Resultative meaning in this case can collocate with the meaning “full coverage of the object by an activity which is expressed by the stem”: ausbuhen – “hiss off”, to express dissatisfaction, indignation towards the speaker with disapproving shouts (syn. coll. buhen).

In the model with egressive meaning one can speak about the subgroup of verbal units in the word formative meanings of which the effectiveness combines with vividly expressed abstract spatialness of the semantics (ausquatschen, austrompeten, etc.). In this subgroup there is the dominance of the lexemes which are formed from the verbs meaning the processes of speaking and sounding: buhen, posaunen, ratschen, sülzen, trompeten, knipsen, quatschen, heulen. Preverbal particle inside these units has an intensifying function and realizes the seme “full process finishing”. In the structure of such verbal units the meaning of the component aus- are more often understood as “open expression of thoughts, emotions, feelings” and stipulates the component combination with a range of lexemes which name the specific way of expression: ausposaunen / austrompeten, - (coll.) to give away a secret, ausratschen - (s.-u., coll.) to give away, ausquatschen - 1. to give away; 2. to unburden one’s heart, to unbosom oneself.

The area of state and movement in the space is one of the basic conceptual things in any national world picture, and the associations, which connect certain state or movement of the object in the space and relevant abstract idea, are similar [1], [5]. Nevertheless, cultural – historical conditions under which the nation development was going on, leave a kind of imprint on the comprehension and interpretation of the such basic things as “limit” or “space”. The German idea about space has been formed under the condition of life in rather small territory. A great role was played by the historic division inside this area and the presence of the separate small life areas that were usually highly populated. German world picture is characterized by the polarity of outer and inner space.  Althaus H.-J. and Mog P. write about exact and full delimitation of the inner area from the outer world that is specific for German national mind. The expression of the German settled way of life (Seßhaftigkeit) and the desire to delimit their world keeping the stability they see in the organizing of the social public life; in particular in having ramified strictly organized system of social support, formal and informal public groups and organizations (Vereine), which unite the society providing its stability and safety [1, P.55]. The movement outside from the closed area can be estimated negatively. During this process the closure breaks, that which means breaking of orderliness and organization of this area. Then the one who leaves this area loses safety and stability. 

Perhaps, this can explain, to some degree the presence of negative seme of some verbal units with aus-. Particle aus- has a disapproving connotation. For example, inside lexeme  ausflippen - 1. to lead asocial way of life, 2. to get mad, to fly into a rage; 3. to be overjoyed, (flippen - 1. skip, jump; 2. to dance self-forgetfully).

Word formative meaning of such model is expressed by the syntagma: «to bring the action expressed by the derivative stem till highest point of its expression». Preverbal component adds the seme of intensity in the meaning of the unit. Derivative stem also means the action characterized by strong emotional condition in such way that additional emotional state for such lexemes is brought by interword seme doubling.

Conclusion

Therefore, it can be concluded that in spite of the meaningful abstractness and semantics vagueness, German preverbal particles of the prepositional character are ploysemous. The meaning system of the preverbal particles is based on the spatial invariant and some particle meanings are based on metaphoric semes which directly or indirectly (through other derivative meanings) correlate with spatial invariant.

In conclusion it should be pointed that the study of the semantics of the German preverbal particles from the point of their cognitive potential and taking into account their word formative role in the structure of the verbal units, makes it possible to single out and describe the content of the expressed spatial relations as well as contributes to the research of the problem of their morphemic and word formative status.

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