Slovenski jezik / Slovene Linguistic Studies

Constructions with High Numerals: A Comparison of Slovene with Other South Slavic Languages and Russian

2024-12-11T11:19:46+01:00

The article focuses on the distinctive features of Slovenian constructions involving cardinal numbers from 5 and up. Additionally, we draw attention to both similarities and differences when comparing them with their counterparts in Štokavian (BCMS), Macedonian, and Russian. The comparison of diverse constructions in Slavic languages illustrates a variety of syntactic relationships within quantitative phrases. We examine the constructions in the context of a predicative agreement, where the quantifier phrase assumes the role of the subject.

The Use, Meaning and Functions of Slovene Bare Pronouns

2024-12-11T11:47:04+01:00

The paper presents selected aspects of the use and meaning of Slovene bare pronouns. An extensive quantitative and qualitative analysis of concordances from the reference corpus Gigafida 2.0 allows for a new, more accurate classification of these pronouns in terms of their indefinite pronoun functions (Haspelmath 1997), as well as their categorization as epistemic indefinite pronouns and Negative Polarity Items. Furthermore, the corpus data show that the placement of bare pronouns in a clause is predictable, typically depending on the complexity of the pronominal phrase and the speaker’s communicative intentions.

Quantitative Data on the Word Formation Models and the Word Formation Sequences of the Interjection in the Word Family Dictionary of the Slovene Language for Entries Beginning on b

2024-12-11T13:39:24+01:00

This article discusses the older and newer semantic typologies of interjections and their word formation properties – in relation to both the formation of other interjections and other parts of speech. We show how the Word Family Dictionary of the Slovene
Language, which contains within individual entries all possible word formation sequences at different levels, can be used for morphotactic research in Slovene. This article provides a statistical analysis of the word formation sequences derived from all nineteen interjection entries in the Word Family Dictionary of the Slovene Language. The analysis focuses on different stages in word formation, the length of suffix chains, the ability of suffixes to combine in suffix chains and the number of different multilevel derivations as well as their frequency in the metaFida corpus.

On the Structural Uniformity of Superlatives: Evidence from Georgian, Slovene, and Tamil

2024-12-11T13:47:57+01:00

This paper is an exploration of the structure of superlative degree adjectives and the syntactic constructions in which they occur across three very distinct languages. Slovenian, Georgian, and Tamil each represents a typological variant of the superlative construction. Slovenian has synthetic superlatives, built from the naj- prefix, while Georgian and Tamil have compositional superlatives, in which the meaning of the superlative is derived compositionally. In this paper, I show that these apparent differences between these constructions is superficial and that the underlying syntax is largely the same.

Backwards Anaphora and Backwards Ellipsis in Slovenian Multi-Clause Sentences

2024-12-11T13:57:37+01:00

The article discusses backwards anaphora and backwards ellipsis in Slovenian multi-clause sentences. It demonstrates their characteristics on all types of Slovenian multi-clause sentences that allow the two phenomena. It turns out that backwards anaphora and backwards ellipsis are rare; backwards anaphora in the role of correlative is the most frequent, and backwards anaphora in coordination is the rarest. I have found individual instances of backwards anaphora and backwards ellipsis even in relationships where they were not envisaged in most studies to date. Backwards anaphora and backwards ellipsis can also have a stylistic effect. It is also possible to have more than one backwards anaphora or backwards ellipsis in one sentence. A semi-backwards anaphora and semi-backwards ellipsis are also shown as a special type of a backwards anaphora and backwards ellipsis.

Slavic Reference Works and the Representation of Slovene: A Case Study

2024-12-11T14:02:11+01:00

The present paper uses the example of the Cambridge Handbook of Slavic Linguistics to elucidate the process of documenting Slavic languages in reference works: the rationale for the project and its contextualization amid other reference works for Slavic languages; the execution of the project, from the selection of the topics and authors to providing editors’ feedback to refereeing the submissions using external reviewers, and the content of the volume. Special attention is devoted to how the Slovene language is represented in this volume.

The Relation Between the Composition of Corpora (Genre Balance and Representativeness) and Their Reliability in Compiling General Explanatory Dictionary

2024-12-11T14:11:56+01:00

This paper aims to examine the genre composition of certain Slovenian corpora as sources for lexicographic analysis (especially when compiling dictionaries such as eSSKJ, the general explanatory dictionary), particularly of the largest corpus, Gigafida 2.0 (divided into two sub-corpora: a sub-corpus of non-fiction and literary texts and a sub-corpus of journalistic texts), the Corpus of Slovenian School Texts, the Corpus of Scientific Texts of Contemporary Slovenian, as well as the KRES corpus. We argue that corpora with major discrepancy in the proportions between different text genres used as lexicographic resources do not reflect the proportions between meanings which originate in semantic extension processes. Thus, one of the largest corpora available for Slovene, Gigafida (in both versions, 1.0 and 2.0, updated in 2019), could hardly be regarded as a reference source of data for a general explanatory dictionary. This is because various journalistic texts and web texts are predominant in Gigafida, while the share of non-fiction and literary texts does not exceed 10% in total. We suggest that a corpus should be at least approximately balanced, which could in turn provide its representativeness.

Homonymy and Polysemy in Bilingual Dictionaries for Slovenian Immigrants to the US at the Beginning of the 20th Century

2024-12-11T14:19:02+01:00

Regrettably, scholarly attention has been limited concerning dictionaries designed for immigrants, what could be called immigrant dictionaries. These books, which aim to address the immediate requirements of new immigrants, are part of the broader sphere of learner lexicography. This article scrutinizes four such immigrant dictionaries, Slovenian–English and English–Slovenian works published in the early twentieth century during the peak of Slovenian immigration to the United States (Kubelka 1904, Kubelka 1912, Košutnik 1912, and Kern 1919). The analysis focuses on the presentation of information, examining the dictionaries’ treatments of homonymy, polysemy, conversion, and parenthetical information. The article discusses implications of adopting a macrostructure-oriented approach or a microstructure-oriented one, in terms of which best facilitates the comprehension of immigrant users. The research findings highlight the significance of lexicographic presentation in the microstructure of immigrant dictionaries. The recommendation is to prioritize the presentation of meaning over other elements typically covered in dictionaries, when a dictionary is intended for immigrants.

Comparison of the Verb Biti (to Be) in Slovenian and Russian Languages

2024-12-11T14:31:33+01:00

This article explores the verb biti in Slovenian and Russian languages from the perspective of their semantic and syntactic characteristics. In light of the connectedness of the two languages, it is reasonable to expect that the use of the verb biti in Slovenian and быть in Russian is similar. With regard to that, the study is focused on the search for similarities and differences resulting from different linguistic norms. The verb is multidimensional in both languages and as such, acts in three cardinal capacities; as a full verb, as a grammatical conjunction or as an element of a compound form. This multidimensionality advances its widespread use in Slovenian and Russian languages. The semantic account of the verbs biti and быт presented in this article is based on the example of translating certain constructions from Russian to Slovenian language and the syntactic and semantic intertwining of the verbs biti and imeti. The account also analyses the role of a conjunction as exercised by the verb biti, with particular attention dedicated to the issue of zero copula in Russian language.

Slavicist Willem R. Vermeer (1947–2024)

2024-12-11T14:38:14+01:00