Verbal periphrase

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Verbal periphrase is a term used in linguistics and describes the combination of two or, in exceptional cases, more verbs that form a single predicate that also belongs together semantically (meaning) . At least one verb becomes an auxiliary verb (auxiliary) and in the periphrase (paraphrase of a term) only has the function of indicating certain grammatical categories such as the tense or aspect of the main verb. Many languages ​​- including German - use both simple and periphrastic forms when conjugating a verb. In some languages, certain verbs are only conjugated simply, others only periphrastically (cf., for example, Basque ).

Some scholars also refer to a functional verb structure as a verbal periphrase.

Examples

In German

In the sentence He does the housework on Fridays. is to maintain , which in other sentences has its own meaning (= to take care of sb., to care for sb.), an auxiliary verb that is used to express a modal adverb. The sentence could also be used as an adverb as Usually he does the housework on Fridays. be formulated.

The compound tenses such as perfect , future and past perfect are also formed in German "periphrastic" by using a word stem (will, have, be) that otherwise serves other functions as an auxiliary verb. However, in connection with tenses, one speaks more of analytical education. In a perfect sentence like He saw her. is the existing itself meaning of the verb have , namely the display of a property, no longer visible. Here the grammatical structure becomes even clearer than in the example above.

Compared to other languages, there are relatively few verbal periphrases in German, if one disregards the compound tenses, but there is a preference for the adverbial register.

In other languages

Spanish language

In Spanish there is a whole series of verbal periphrases (so-called perífrasis verbales ), which (like adverbial terms ) serve to specify the lexical aspect of the verb (i.e. the time limit or the course of the action). These verb constructions can be formed in connection with the infinitive, participle or gerund. In addition to the synthetic future tense ( futuro imperfecto ), there is also a periphrastic future tense (formation with ir + a + infinitive ) , comparable to English . Examples:

  • Voy comprendiendo la situación. ' I am beginning to understand the situation.'
  • No dejan de trabajar en el sol. 'They work incessantly in the sun.'
  • Su nuevo libro lo tiene escrito. 'He's finished writing his new book .'
  • Vamos a comprar un refresco. 'We're going to buy a soft drink (now).'

Most Romance verbal phrases, especially in Spanish, are typically rendered in the German language by an adverb or something similar.

  • Vengo de decirselo. 'I just told her .'
  • Se empeñan en comprarlo. You want it necessarily buy. '
  • Llevo escrito dos libros. 'I've already written two books.'

English language

In English z. For example, in addition to the analytical will future, there is also the periphrastic future tense, which is formed with going to and additionally emphasizes the imminent future action. Another example is the phrase keep doing sth. , E.g. B. in the sentence She keeps waiting for the results of her exam. The auxiliary verb to keep is not used in its actual meaning (' to keep something'), but expresses an ongoing action that is paraphrased in German with the adverb 'weiter', 'weiter': 'She continues to wait for her test results.'

Dutch language

In Dutch there are a few auxiliary verbs that are used to form periphrases in order to describe the temporal aspect in more detail. You can divide these auxiliary verbs into two groups. On the one hand there are auxiliary verbs that mark the imminent beginning of an action (only gaan and komen ), on the other hand there are those that mark the progress or duration of an action ( blijven and zijn as well as verbs that would normally indicate a posture as a full verb: hang , liggen , lopen , staan and zitten ). The auxiliary verbs that are derived from a posture need an infinitive with te 'zu' , all others do not need a te .

  • Het gaat rain. 'It's about to rain .'
  • Zij komt mee-eten. 'She's coming to eat.'
  • Zij blijft zeuren. You bitches always continue . '
  • Hij loops te mompelen. He mumbles the whole time . '

literature

  • Hadumod Bußmann (Ed.) With the collaboration of Hartmut Lauffer: Lexikon der Sprachwissenschaft. 4th, revised and bibliographically supplemented edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-520-45204-7 .
  • Willem J. Aerts : Periphrastica. An investigation into the use of εἶναι and ἔχειν as auxiliaries and pseudo-auxiliaries from Homer up to the present day. Amsterdam 1965 (Proefschrift).
  • Mario Wandruszka: German and Romance verbal structures. In: Problems of Contrastive Grammar. Yearbook 1969 by Hugo Moser (Ed.): Language of the present. (= Writings of the Institute for the German Language in Mannheim. Volume VIII). Pädagogischer Verlag Schwann, Düsseldorf 1970, pp. 53–69.
  • Wolf Dietrich: The periphrastic verbal aspect in the Romance languages: Investigations into the current Romance verbal system and the problem of the origin of the periphrastic verbal aspect. Volume 140 supplements to the journal for Romance Philology, Max Niemeyer Verlag, imprint by de Gruyter, Berlin 1973, ISBN 3-484-52045-0 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Verbal phrases between grammar, lexicon and pragmatics. - PDF file
  2. ↑ § 270f. In: Nederlandse spraakkunst. E. Rijpma, FG Schuringa, 1967, accessed March 27, 2020 (Dutch).