This construction is too hot to handle: A corpus study of an adjectival construction

Kim Ebensgaard Jensen

This construction is too hot to handle: A corpus study of an adjectival construction

Kim Ebensgaard Jensen

Research output: Contribution to conference without publisher/journal › Paper without publisher/journal › Research › peer-review

386 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This paper presents a synchronic study of an adjectival construction. More specifically, it discusses the [too ADJ to V]-construction (e.g. Tommy was too full to walk), which expresses a causal relation in which the ADJ-element, drawing on the adjectival property of scalarity, specifies a degree of ADJ-ness that prevents the proposition expressed by the V-element from happening. Drawing on data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) and descriptive techniques from corpus linguistics, the paper, investigating the role of the ADJ-element and relations it enters into, seeks to provide an overview of the symbolic and usage-based features of the construction. The study suggests that there are subconstructions at play in addition to the central prevention-expressing one. There are even cases, where [too ADJ to V] expresses a relation of enablement rather than prevention between the ADJ- and the V-elements, which suggests another subconstructional division.

Original language	English
Publication date	21 Sept 2013
Publication status	Published - 21 Sept 2013
Event	Annual Meeting of the Japanese Cognitive Linguistics Association - Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Kyoto, Japan Duration: 21 Sept 2013 → 22 Sept 2013 Conference number: 14

Conference

Conference	Annual Meeting of the Japanese Cognitive Linguistics Association
Number	14
Location	Kyoto University of Foreign Studies
Country/Territory	Japan
City	Kyoto
Period	21/09/2013 → 22/09/2013

Bibliographical note

Abstract available in: '日本認知言語学会第14回大会 Conference Handbook 2013' (p. 75)

Keywords

construction grammar
cognitive linguistics
corpus linguistics
adjective
adjectival semantics
collostruction
covarying collexeme
distinctive collexeme
cluster analysis
scalarity
construal
English grammar
syntax

Access to Document

Too hot to handle - Kyoto - September 2013Accepted author manuscript, 372 KB

http://homepage2.nifty.com/jcla/english/05.meeting.html

AUB Link

Search for the material in Aalborg University Library's search engine

Construal operations
Jensen, K. E.
01/12/2010 → …
Project: Research
Constructions
Jensen, K. E.
01/12/2010 → …
Project: Research

Cite this

@conference{5213a04478c345a5948d765e4a4465cc,

title = "This construction is too hot to handle: A corpus study of an adjectival construction",

abstract = "This paper presents a synchronic study of an adjectival construction. More specifically, it discusses the [too ADJ to V]-construction (e.g. Tommy was too full to walk), which expresses a causal relation in which the ADJ-element, drawing on the adjectival property of scalarity, specifies a degree of ADJ-ness that prevents the proposition expressed by the V-element from happening. Drawing on data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) and descriptive techniques from corpus linguistics, the paper, investigating the role of the ADJ-element and relations it enters into, seeks to provide an overview of the symbolic and usage-based features of the construction. The study suggests that there are subconstructions at play in addition to the central prevention-expressing one. There are even cases, where [too ADJ to V] expresses a relation of enablement rather than prevention between the ADJ- and the V-elements, which suggests another subconstructional division. ",

keywords = "construction grammar, cognitive linguistics, corpus linguistics, adjective, adjectival semantics, collostruction, covarying collexeme, distinctive collexeme, cluster analysis, scalarity, construal, English grammar, syntax",

author = "Jensen, {Kim Ebensgaard}",

note = "Abstract available in: '日本認知言語学会第14回大会 Conference Handbook 2013' (p. 75); Annual Meeting of the Japanese Cognitive Linguistics Association ; Conference date: 21-09-2013 Through 22-09-2013",

year = "2013",

month = sep,

day = "21",

language = "English",

}

TY - CONF

T1 - This construction is too hot to handle

T2 - Annual Meeting of the Japanese Cognitive Linguistics Association

AU - Jensen, Kim Ebensgaard

N1 - Conference code: 14

PY - 2013/9/21

Y1 - 2013/9/21

N2 - This paper presents a synchronic study of an adjectival construction. More specifically, it discusses the [too ADJ to V]-construction (e.g. Tommy was too full to walk), which expresses a causal relation in which the ADJ-element, drawing on the adjectival property of scalarity, specifies a degree of ADJ-ness that prevents the proposition expressed by the V-element from happening. Drawing on data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) and descriptive techniques from corpus linguistics, the paper, investigating the role of the ADJ-element and relations it enters into, seeks to provide an overview of the symbolic and usage-based features of the construction. The study suggests that there are subconstructions at play in addition to the central prevention-expressing one. There are even cases, where [too ADJ to V] expresses a relation of enablement rather than prevention between the ADJ- and the V-elements, which suggests another subconstructional division.

AB - This paper presents a synchronic study of an adjectival construction. More specifically, it discusses the [too ADJ to V]-construction (e.g. Tommy was too full to walk), which expresses a causal relation in which the ADJ-element, drawing on the adjectival property of scalarity, specifies a degree of ADJ-ness that prevents the proposition expressed by the V-element from happening. Drawing on data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) and descriptive techniques from corpus linguistics, the paper, investigating the role of the ADJ-element and relations it enters into, seeks to provide an overview of the symbolic and usage-based features of the construction. The study suggests that there are subconstructions at play in addition to the central prevention-expressing one. There are even cases, where [too ADJ to V] expresses a relation of enablement rather than prevention between the ADJ- and the V-elements, which suggests another subconstructional division.

KW - construction grammar

KW - cognitive linguistics

KW - corpus linguistics

KW - adjective

KW - adjectival semantics

KW - collostruction

KW - covarying collexeme

KW - distinctive collexeme

KW - cluster analysis

KW - scalarity

KW - construal

KW - English grammar

KW - syntax

M3 - Paper without publisher/journal

Y2 - 21 September 2013 through 22 September 2013

ER -

This construction is too hot to handle: A corpus study of an adjectival construction

Abstract

Conference

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

AUB Link

Fingerprint

Projects

Construal operations

Constructions

Cite this