Cover not available

In:Space in Diachrony
Edited by Silvia Luraghi, Tatiana Nikitina and Chiara Zanchi
[Studies in Language Companion Series 188] 2017
► pp. 95–118

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload Book PDF
authorization required

How should a “classical” Satellite-Framed Language behave?

Path encoding asymmetries in Ancient Greek and Latin

 | University of Salerno, Italy
 | University of Salerno, Italy
 | University of Salerno, Italy
 | University of Salerno, Italy
Published online: 14 August 2017
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.188.04iac
This paper discusses the encoding of motion events in a corpus of Ancient Greek and Latin texts, focusing on the differences in the expression of Sources and Goals in the two languages (both classified as Satellite-Framed in Talmy’s typology). For this analysis, we have adopted a number of parameters suitable for the investigation of Source and Goal encoding in Path expressions. The corpus has been manually tagged with the help of a software tool dedicated to motion event annotation (Modeg). The results of the analysis confirm the widespread tendency to express Goal more frequently and in a more detailed way compared to Source, and reveal subtle differences in the way in which Ancient Greek and Latin combine prepositional marking with directional preverbs. We argue that the common tendency to express simple Paths (mostly Goal-oriented) can be interpreted from a diachronic perspective as one of the main factors enhancing the diachronic change of both languages towards the preference for the Verb-Framed type of encoding.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Corpus and methodology
  • 3.Path asymmetry meets Path complexity
    • 3.1The main loci of Source and Goal encoding and their frequency in Ancient Greek and Latin
    • 3.2Semantic granularity of Source and Goal markers
    • 3.3Cooptation of locative expressions for the encoding of Goal and Source
  • 4.Possible development lines towards the Verb-Framed type
  • 5.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
References (50)
References
Beavers, John & Levin, Beth & Tham, Shiao Wei. 2010. The typology of motion expression revisited. Journal of Linguistics 46(3): 331–377.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Borillo, Andrée. 1998. L’espace et son expression en français. Paris: Ophrys.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Brucale, Luisa. 2014. Space adpositions. In Encyclopedia of A. Greek Language and Linguistics, Vol. 3, Georgios K. Giannakis (ed.), 300–310. Leiden: Brill.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Brucale, Luisa & Mocciaro, Egle. 2015. Starting from the origin: The Early Latin preposition de (and its companions). In Latin Linguistics in the Early XXIst Century, Gerd Haverling (ed.), 445–455. Uppsala: University of Uppsala.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Corona, Luisa. 2015. Gli eventi di moto in diacronia. Variazione e continuità dal latino all’italiano. PhD dissertation, University of Salerno.
Croft, William, Barðdal, Jóhanna, Hollmann, Willem, Sotirova, Violeta & Taoka, Chiaki. 2010. Revising Talmy’s typological classification of complex event constructions. In Contrastive Studies in Construction Grammar [Constructional Approaches to Language 10], Hans C. Boas (ed.), 201–235. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Filipović, Luna & Ibarretxe-Antuñano, Iraide. 2015. Motion. In Mouton Handbook of Cognitive Linguistics, Ewa Dabrowska & Dagmar Divjak (eds), 526–545. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fortis, Jean-Michel & Vittrant, Alice. 2011. L’organisation syntaxique de l’expression de la trajectoire: Vers une typologie des constructions. Faits de Langues . Les cahiers 3: 71–98.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2016. Path-expressing constructions: Toward a typology. STUF 69(3): 341–374.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
García-Jurado, Francisco. 1991. Los sintagmas preposicionales Ex, Ab, De + Abl en el latín clásico: Sistema semántico. Minerva 5: 189–206.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Grinevald, Colette. 2011. On constructing a working typology of the expression of path. Faits de Langues. Les Cahiers 3: 43–20.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hofmann, Johann Baptist & Szantyr, Anton. 1965. Lateinische Syntax und Silistik. Munich: Beck.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Iacobini, Claudio & Corona, Luisa. 2016. ”Romanes eunt domus”: Where you can go with Latin morphology. Variation in motion expression between system and usage. In Quo Vadis Morphology? MMM10 On-line Proceedings Jenny, Audring, Francesca Masini & Wendy Sandler (eds), 73–87. 〈[URL]〉Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Iacobini, Claudio, Corona, Luisa, Buoniconto, Alfonsina & De Rosa Aurelio. n.d. A grid for decoding motion encoding. Ms, University of Salerno.
Iacobini, Claudio & Fagard, Benjamin. 2011. A diachronic approach to variation and change in the typology of motion event expression. A case study: From Latin to Romance. Faits de Langues. Les Cahiers 3: 152–171.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Iacobini, Claudio & Vergaro, Carla. 2014. The role of inference in motion event encoding/decoding: A cross-linguistic inquiry into English and Italian. Lingue e Linguaggio 13: 211–240.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ibarretxe-Antuñano, Iraide. 2009. Path salience in motion events. In Crosslinguistic Approaches to the Psychology of Language: Research in the Tradition of Dan Isaac Slobin, Jiansheng J. Guo, Elena Lieven, Nancy Budwig, Susan Ervin-Tripp, Keiko Nakamura & Şeyda Özçalışkan (eds), 403–414. New York NY: Psychology Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ikegami, Yoshihiko. 1987. ‘Source’ vs. ‘Goal’: A case of linguistic dissymetry. In Concepts of Case, René Dirven & Günter Radden (eds), 122–146. Tübingen: Gunter Narr.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Imbert, Caroline. 2010. Competing motivations in Path-coding systems: A case study from an ancient language. Paper presented at the Conference on Competing Motivations, Leipzig, 23–25 November.
Ishibashi, Miyuki. 2012. The expression of ‘putting’ and ‘taking’ events in Japanese: The asymmetry of Source and Goal revisited. In Events of Putting and Taking: A Crosslinguistic Perspective [Typological Studies in Language 100], Annetta Kopecka & Bhuvana Narasimhan (eds), 253–272. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Jones, Michael A.. 1983. Speculations on the expression of movement in French. In A Festschrift for Peter Wexler, Jacques Durand (ed), 165–194. Colchester: University of Essex Language Centre.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kopecka, Anetta & Ishibashi, Miyuki. 2011. L’(a-)symétrie dans l’expression de la Source et du But: Perspective translinguistique. Faits de Langues . Les Cahiers 3: 131–149.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kopecka, Anetta. 2013. Describing motion events in Old and Modern French: Discourse effects of a typological change. In Variation and Change in the Coding of Motion Events [Human Cognitive Processing 41], Juliana Goschler & Anatol Stefanowitsch (eds), 163–184. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Levinson, Stephen C.. 2003. Space in Language and Cognition. Cambridge: CUP.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2006. The language of space in Yélî Dnye. In Grammars of Space: Explorations in Cognitive Diversity, Stephen C. Levinson & David P. Wilkins (eds), 157–203. Cambridge: CUP.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Luraghi, Silvia. 2003. On the Meaning of Prepositions and Cases. The Expression of Semantic Roles in Ancient Greek [Studies in Language Companion Series 67]. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2010. Adverbial phrases. In New Perspectives on Historical Latin Syntax, Vol. 2: Constituent Syntax: Adverbial Phrases, Adverbs, Mood, Tense, Philip Baldi & Pieruigi Cuzzolin (eds), 19–108. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2011. Human landmarks in spatial expressions: From Latin to Romance. In Case, Animacy and Semantic Roles [Typological Studies in Language 99], Seppo Kittilä, Katja Västi & Jussi Ylikoski (eds), 207–234. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Matsumoto, Yo. 2003. Typologies of lexicalization patterns and event integration: Clarifications and reformulations. In Empirical and Theoretical Investigations into Language: A Festschrift for Masaru Kajita, Shuji Chiba (ed), 403–418. Tokyo: Kaitakusha.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Nam, Seungho. 2004. Goal and source: Asymmetry in their syntax and semantics. Paper presented at the Workshop on Event Structure in Linguistic Form and Interpretation, Leipzig, 17–19 March.
Nikitina, Tatiana & Maslov, Boris. 2013. Redefining constructio praegnans: On the variation between allative and locative expressions in Ancient Greek. Journal of Greek Linguistics 13: 105–142.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Nikitina, Tatiana. 2013. Lexical splits in the encoding of motion events from Archaic to Classical Greek. In Variation and Change in the Encoding of Motion Events [Human Cognitive Processing 41], Juliana Goschler & Anatol Stefanowitsch (eds), 185–202. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Palmer, Leonard R.. 1954. The Latin Language. Norman OK: University of Oklahoma Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Papafragou, Anna. 2010. Source–Goal asymmetries in motion representation: Implications for language production and comprehension. Cognitive Science 34(6): 1064–1092.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Papafragou, Anna, Massey, Christine & Gleitman, Lila. 2002. Shake, rattle, ‘n’ roll: The representation of motion in language and cognition. Cognition 84(2): 189–219.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2006. When English proposes what Greek presupposes: The linguistic encoding of motion events. Cognition 98: B75–B87.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pinkster, Harm. 2010. Notes on the language of M. Caelius Rufus. In Colloquial and Literary Latin, Eleanor Dickey & Anna Chahoud (eds), 186–202. Cambridge: CUP.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Regier, Terry & Zheng, Mingyu. 2007. Attention to endpoints: A cross-linguistic constraint on spatial meaning. Cognitive Science 31: 705–719.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Selimis, Stathis & Katis, Demetra. 2010. Motion descriptions in English and Greek: A cross-typological developmental study of conversations and narratives. Linguistik Online 42: 53–72.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Serbat, Guy. 1996. Grammaire fondamentale du latin, Tome VI : L’emploi des cas en latin, Vol. 1: Nominatif, vocatif, accusatifi génitif, datif. Leuven: Peeters.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Skopeteas, Stavros. 2008. Encoding spatial relations: Language typology and diachronic change in Greek. STUF 61(1): 54–66.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Slobin, Dan Isaac. 1996. From “thought and language” to “thinking for speaking”. In Rethinking Linguistic Relativity, John Gumperz & Stephen C. Levinson (eds), 70–96. Cambridge: CUP.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2005. Relating narrative events in translation. In Perspectives on Language and Language Development: Essays in Honor of Ruth A. Berman, ‎Dorit Diskin Ravid & Hava Bat-Zeev Shyldkrot (eds), 115–129. Dordrecht: Kluwer.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2008. From S-language and V-language to PIN and PIV. Conference held at the workshop: Human Locomotion across Languages, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, June 6th.
Stolova, Natalya I.. 2015. Cognitive Linguistics and Lexical Change: Motion Verbs from Latin to Romance [Current Issues in Linguist Theory 331]. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Talmy, Leonard. 1972. Semantic Structures in English and Atsugewi. PhD dissertation, University of Berkeley.
. 1985. Lexicalization patterns: Semantic structure in lexical forms. In Language Typology and Syntactic Description, III: Grammatical Categories and the Lexicon, Timothy Shopen (ed), 57–149. Cambridge: CUP.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1991. Path to realization: A typology of event conflation. In Proceedings of the Seventeenth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society, Christopher Johnson, Laurel A. Sutton & Ruth Shields (eds), 480–519. Berkeley CA: BLS.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2000. Toward a Cognitive Semantics: Typology and Process in Concept Structuring, Vol. 2. Cambridge MA: The MIT Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2005. The fundamental system of spatial schemas in language. In From Perception to Meaning. Image Schemas in Cognitive Linguistics, Beate Hampe & Joseph E. Grady (eds), 199–234. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.  Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (7)

Cited by seven other publications

Holvoet, Axel
2023. A hitherto unnoticed type of verb-framed construction in Lithuanian and the typology of event conflation. Studies in Language 47:3 ► pp. 571 ff. DOI logo
Wiesinger, Evelyn
2023. On the role of verb-particle constructions in Old Spanish. In Constructions in Spanish [Constructional Approaches to Language, 34], ► pp. 309 ff. DOI logo
De Pasquale, Noemi
2021. ‘Invisible’ spatial meaning: a text-based study of covert Path encoding in Ancient Greek. Folia Linguistica 55:2 ► pp. 485 ff. DOI logo
De Pasquale, Noemi
2021. ‘Invisible’ spatial meaning: a text-based study of covert Path encoding in Ancient Greek. Folia Linguistica 55:2 ► pp. 485 ff. DOI logo
Kopecka, Anetta & Marine Vuillermet
2021. Source-Goal (a)symmetries across languages. Studies in Language 45:1 ► pp. 2 ff. DOI logo
Papahagi, Cristiana
2021. Source-Goal (a)symmetry in Romanian. Studies in Language 45:1 ► pp. 109 ff. DOI logo
Georgakopoulos, Thanasis
2018. A frame-based approach to the source-goal asymmetry. Constructions and Frames 10:1 ► pp. 61 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 3 december 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue