Deverbal Noun Predicates of Czech Do-Constructions in a Cross-Linguistic Perspective Cover Image

Deverbální jmenné predikáty v konstrukcích se slovesem dělat v češtině z mezijazykové perspektivy
Deverbal Noun Predicates of Czech Do-Constructions in a Cross-Linguistic Perspective

Author(s): Shih-Yin Lin, Karel Šebesta, Kawai Chui, Hsiang-lin Yeh
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Theoretical Linguistics, Philology
Published by: Univerzita Karlova v Praze - Filozofická fakulta, Vydavatelství
Keywords: Do-construction; light verb; Czech; Chinese; Russian

Summary/Abstract: This study introduces a cross-linguistic investigation of Do-constructions in Chinese, Russian and Czech, focusing especially on Do-construction strategies in Czech. The DO-construction in this study refers to a predicate-argument structure comprising the light verb ‘to do’, and a predicate deverbal noun, which is a noun derived from a verb or verbal phrase. Chinese, Russian and Czech align in manifesting a cross-language functional construal where predication rests upon the semantic content of the accusative argument denoting action events that are of interest in communication. A corpus analysis of the linguistic properties of the constructions across speaking and writing attested that Do-constructions in Chinese are more productive than those of Russian and Czech. However, the corpus data also show that the light uses of the Czech verb ‘to do’ are predominant compared with its full uses. Therefore, this study further focuses on one of the light uses of the Czech verb ‘to do’, which is with predicate deverbal nouns.

  • Issue Year: 105/2023
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 188-199
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: Czech
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