Prace komisji nauk.pdf - Instytut Filologii Angielskiej Uniwersytetu ...

Prace komisji nauk.pdf - Instytut Filologii Angielskiej Uniwersytetu ... Prace komisji nauk.pdf - Instytut Filologii Angielskiej Uniwersytetu ...

ifa.uni.wroc.pl
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08.02.2014 Views

to define dor in NSM terms. The NSM definition of dor will take into account its semantic components, its semantic roles as well it what it refers to. First, three definitions of dor will be made up, corresponding to the three feelings present at the first level. Then definitions for the common subtypes of dor identified in the corpus will be given in NSM terms. Before defining dor in NSM terms, the highest level of the definition, i.e. the indefiniteness of this notion, must be clarified. Indefiniteness is at first sight a hinder in defining a notion, as it implies that the ‘borders’ of the definition (in its etymological sense) are blurred. However, this is not a hinder in NSM terms, as it includes primes as the “interclausal linker” LIKE, the terms for “taxonomy and partonomy” PART (OF) and KIND (OF), as well as terms expressing “imagination and possibility” like IF…WOULD and MAYBE. Thus, indefiniteness does not mean the impossibility of defining, at least in NSM terms. A further problem is whether the three notions present at level 1, i.e. “nostalgia”, “wish” and “love” should be decomposed further on up to the level of semantic primes. This is actually not a relevant point, as the goal of the present study is to define dor. As it was characterised as a complex notion, and as the three components cannot include it, there is no risk of circular definition. Out of the three components, the corresponding verb of “wish”, i.e. “to wish” can be identified expressed in terms of a semantic primes starting from WANT, one of the “mental predicates”, whose meaning is close to it. Taking into account Wierzbicka’s observations on “want” (1996: 177), “wish” can be defined as “want” followed by the speaker’s incertitude: X wishes something X wants something X does not think that thing will happen because of this Several definitions can be made up, corresponding to several types of dor. In all the three definitions below, the indefiniteness of the state of mind was expressed 108

y means of the semantic prime for taxonomy A KIND OF, which modifies the phrase “SOMETHING LIKE THIS” of the common NSM definitions. The two phrases are seen as representing two different notions. dor (the “nostalgia” type) X feels something sometimes a person thinks something like this: something happened a long time ago this does not happen now if the same thing happened, I would feel something good when this person thinks like this, this person feels something bad. X feels a kind of something like this. The lines 2-5 of this definition, together with the last one, and without “maybe”, make up a definition of nostalgia. It includes nostalgia for concrete and abstract notions, therefore for persons, too. dor (the “wish” type) X feels something sometimes a person thinks something like this: I want something to happen/I want to do something I do not think that thing will happen because of this if this happened/ if I did this, I would feel something good. when this person thinks like this, this person feels something bad. X feels a kind of something like this. This is the simplest definition of the three, because, as was mentioned above, “wish” can be identified in terms of semantic primes with “want”. dor (the “love” type) 109

to define dor in NSM terms. The NSM definition of dor will take into account<br />

its semantic components, its semantic roles as well it what it refers to. First,<br />

three definitions of dor will be made up, corresponding to the three feelings<br />

present at the first level. Then definitions for the common subtypes of dor<br />

identified in the corpus will be given in NSM terms.<br />

Before defining dor in NSM terms, the highest level of the definition, i.e.<br />

the indefiniteness of this notion, must be clarified. Indefiniteness is at first sight<br />

a hinder in defining a notion, as it implies that the ‘borders’ of the definition (in<br />

its etymological sense) are blurred. However, this is not a hinder in NSM terms,<br />

as it includes primes as the “interclausal linker” LIKE, the terms for “taxonomy<br />

and partonomy” PART (OF) and KIND (OF), as well as terms expressing<br />

“imagination and possibility” like IF…WOULD and MAYBE. Thus, indefiniteness<br />

does not mean the impossibility of defining, at least in NSM terms.<br />

A further problem is whether the three notions present at level 1, i.e.<br />

“nostalgia”, “wish” and “love” should be decomposed further on up to the level<br />

of semantic primes. This is actually not a relevant point, as the goal of the<br />

present study is to define dor. As it was characterised as a complex notion, and<br />

as the three components cannot include it, there is no risk of circular definition.<br />

Out of the three components, the corresponding verb of “wish”, i.e. “to wish”<br />

can be identified expressed in terms of a semantic primes starting from WANT,<br />

one of the “mental predicates”, whose meaning is close to it. Taking into<br />

account Wierzbicka’s observations on “want” (1996: 177), “wish” can be<br />

defined as “want” followed by the speaker’s incertitude:<br />

X wishes something<br />

X wants something<br />

X does not think that thing will happen because of this<br />

Several definitions can be made up, corresponding to several types of dor. In all<br />

the three definitions below, the indefiniteness of the state of mind was expressed<br />

108

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