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Article published In: Asymmetries, Mismatches and Construction Grammar
Edited by Nikos Koutsoukos, Kristel Van Goethem and Hendrik De Smet
[Constructions and Frames 10:2] 2018
► pp. 178–209

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Form/meaning asymmetry in word formation

The case of non- nouns in French

 | University of Lille
Published online: 21 January 2019
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/cf.00018.dug
Abstract
The paper deals with the French morphological prefixation pattern [non-N] (non-qualification ‘non-qualification’, non-Italien ‘non-Italian’, and non-ville ‘non-city’). It discusses the form/meaning asymmetry displayed by this pattern and its compositionality. It is shown that the general pattern [non-N] actually corresponds to three distinct subconstructions, i.e. distinct form/meaning pairings. Although pragmatic factors may be seen as presenting a challenge to the compositionality of these constructions, it is argued that [non-N]s must be seen as compositional as long as compositionality is defined not only in terms of truth-conditional semantics, but also of pragmatics.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Data and methodology
    • 2.1Data collection
    • 2.2Annotation of the base nouns
    • 2.3Annotation of the derived nouns
      • 2.3.1Tests for the ontological reading
      • 2.3.2Tests for the classifying reading
      • 2.3.3Tests for the qualifying reading
      • 2.3.4Tests: Summary
    • 2.4Data: Frequencies
  • 3.Description of the [non-N] pattern
    • 3.1One form, three meanings?
    • 3.2Three forms, three meanings: Three [non-N] constructions
      • 3.2.1Back to the notion of construction
      • 3.2.2The three [non-N] subconstructions
  • 4.The question of compositionality
    • 4.1Compositionality and constructions
    • 4.2Compositionality of [non-N]s
      • 4.2.1Prefixal vs. adverbial constructions in non(-)
      • 4.2.2The role of context
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
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