NEKOLIKO NAPOMENA O ODNOSU GLAVE I MODIFIKATORA U NEKIM TIPOVIMA HRVATSKE APOZICIJSKE SINTAGME
SOME NOTES ON THE HEAD – MODIFIER RELATION IN CERTAIN TYPES OF APPOSITION IN CROATIAN

Summary/Abstract: In this paper we have used methods of Cognitive Grammar to discuss the relationship between the profile determinant (the head) and modifiers in certain types of appositive nominal phrases in Croatian. Croatian grammar is mainly unanimous in declaring that the position of appositive items depends on whether such items are appended to either proper nouns, or common nouns or pronouns. In the case of the former, the appositive item is claimed to precede, and in the latter, to follow the noun. An exception is offered by Silić and Pranjković (2005), who claim that apposition, being the dependent constituent, always precedes the noun (the main constituent) which it determines. In this paper we have sided with Marković (2008), who offered a compelling critique of such claims, proving that the position of apposition is not dependent on its addition to either a proper or common noun. According to Marković (ibid.) apposition is always the right-hand constituent in an appositive nominal phrase; in other words, the right-hand member always functions as the modifier of the member sitting to its left. However, even this analysis turns out somewhat flawed if the question is approached from the perspective of Cognitive Grammar. This would mean some adjustment to the rule that the right-hand member of the appositive sequence should always act as the modifier of the one on its left. In this paper we have subjected to special scrutiny cases with a syntagmatic arrangement opposite to the one predicted by the aforementioned rule.

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