Subjects in Constructions – Canonical and Non-Canonical

Editors

Marja-Liisa Helasvuo | University of Turku

Tuomas Huumo | University of Turku

Hardbound – Available

ISBN 9789027204387 | EUR 99.00 | USD 149.00

e-Book –

ISBN 9789027269188 | EUR 99.00 | USD 149.00

This volume analyzes constructions with non-canonical subjects in individual languages and cross-linguistically, drawing on insights from cognitive and discourse-functional linguistics. Prototypical subjects have often been characterized in terms of their semantic, syntactic and discourse features, such as animacy, agentivity, topicality, referentiality, definiteness and autonomy of existence of the subject referent. A non-canonical subject is one that lacks some of these features. This may be reflected in its meaning, grammatical coding, and/or discourse function. In discussing non-canonical subjects in individual languages and cross-linguistically, the chapters in the volume address the following more general topics: What kinds of grammatical, semantic and discourse criteria can be used to distinguish subjects from non-subjects? To what extent are subject criteria construction-specific? What kinds of constructions have non-canonical subjects? What are the semantic and discourse functions of constructions with non-canonical subjects? Are subjects which are grammatically non-canonical also atypical in terms of their discourse features?

[Constructional Approaches to Language, 16] 2015. viii, 324 pp.

Publishing status: Available

https://doi.org/10.1075/cal.16

Table of Contents

Abbreviations | pp. vii–Viii

Canonical and non-canonical subjects in constructions: Perspectives from cognition and discourse

Marja-Liisa Helasvuo and Tuomas Huumo | pp. 1–9

Section I: Grammatical and discourse perspectives on non-canonical subjects

On the subject of subject in Finnish

Tuomas Huumo and Marja-Liisa Helasvuo | pp. 13–41

Hidden subjects in conversation: Estonian personless verb forms as referential devices9

Renate Pajusalu | pp. 43–72

Subjects under generic conditions: Implied subjects in Finnish and Estonian if-clauses

Hanna Jokela and Helen Plado | pp. 73–97

Section II: Stretching the limits of subjecthood

Abstract locational subjects: Field and settings in French and English

Michel Achard | pp. 101–139

Subjecthood of the agent argument in Estonian passive constructions

Liina Lindström | pp. 141–173

Categorization and semantics of subject-like obliques: A cross-linguistic perspective

Ilja A. Seržant | pp. 175–203

The world is raining: Meteorological predicates and their subjects in a typological perspective

Pål Kristian Eriksen, Seppo Kittilä and Leena Kolehmainen | pp. 205–228

Section III: Subjects in networks of constructions

The syntactic and semantic history of the Finnish genitive subject: Construction networks and the rise of a grammatical category

Jaakko Leino | pp. 231–251

From canon to monolith to clusters: A constructionist model of subjecthood in Russian

Aki-Juhani Kyröläinen | pp. 253–291

The role of non-canonical subjects in the overall grammar of a language: A case study of Russian

Laura A. Janda and Dagmar Divjak | pp. 293–317

Construction index | pp. 319–320

Subject index | pp. 321–324

“The contributions to the volume under review, even when offering an analysis of Finnish or Estonian data, are of broader interest and can be read with profit by anyone concerned with general questions of grammatical relations and the different angles under which they can be approached. It should be noted, however, that several authors take the notion of subjecthood rather broadly, extending it to agent phrases, defocused referents in agent-backgrounding constructions etc. The different perspectives taken by the authors will certainly inspire further research into a domain that has much to gain from a constructional approach. The contents of the volume fully justify its title, as they illustrate the benefits of studying subjects in constructions, in the various meanings in which this formulation may be understood.”

Axel Holvoet, Vilnius University, in Constructions and Frames Vol. 10:1 (2018)

Cited by

Cited by 1 other publications

Barðdal, Jóhanna

2018. In Non-Canonically Case-Marked Subjects [Studies in Language Companion Series, 200], ► pp. 1 ff.

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 07 november 2022. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Subjects & Metadata