Approximation through suffixation : -ɖɖu/-a in Sicilian

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Authors

MOCCIARO Egle BRUCALE Luisa

Year of publication 2023
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Journal of Word Formation
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Arts

Citation
Web https://journals.linguistik.de/zwjw/issue/view/13
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.21248/zwjw.2023.1.89
Keywords Evaluative morphology; Sicilian; Cognitive linguistics; Morphopragmatics
Attached files
Description This article investigates the use of the Sicilian suffix -??u/-a for the expression of approximation. On the basis of a survey of a corpus of ethnotexts and the outputs of a translation questionnaire, we propose that approximation is a core value in the semantic network of the suffix, expressing a certain distance from the default values conveyed by the base. In terms of prototypicality, this distance may occur from the categorial centre (internal approximation): the suffix modifies the semantics of the base but does not alter the categorial status of the referent. Alternatively, the suffix may impact on categorial membership tout court (external approximation), questioning the categorial properties of the base. Based on this classification, the semantic cores of the suffix are represented in a map showing the connections between the various meanings identified in the corpus.
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