The semantics of German verb prefixes / Robert B. Dewell, Loyola University New Orleans.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Print version record.

English.

The Semantics of German Verb Prefixes; Editorial page; Title page; LCC data; Table of contents; List of figures; List of tables; Preface; Introduction; 1. The starting point; 2. The kinds of 'meaning' to look for; 3. Organization of the book; 4. Sources of evidence; Chapter 1. Route-path prefixes and basic concepts; 1. The objective meanings; 1.1 Über and unter; 1.2 Durch; 1.3 Um; 2. Extending objects, fictive motion, and meanings as dynamic patterns; 3. The meaning of the prefixed verb construction itself; 3.1 Synoptic vs sequential construals.

3.2 Schematic meanings in grammatical constructions4. Types with route-path prefixes; 4.1 Holistic paths; 4.1.1 Geometric images; 4.1.2 Focal obstacles; 4.1.3 Summary of holistic paths; 4.2 Multi-directional paths; 4.2.1 Multiplexes and masses; 4.2.2 Multi-directional paths as uniquely synoptic; 4.3 Summary of basic characteristics; 4.4 Accusative LMs; 4.5 Über- and unter- verbs with an implicit LM; 5. Direct contrasts; 5.1 Überführen vs überführen; 5.2 Durchschneiden vs durchschneiden; 6. Summary; Chapter 2. Be-; 1. Core meaning; 1.1 The schematic image; 1.2 Comparing German and English.

2. Be- verbs and transitivity2.1 Be- verbs that transitivize; 2.2 Applicative constructions and the "locative alternation"; 3. Direct contrasts with unprefixed transitive constructions; 3.1 Direct contrasts with unprefixed goal-object verbs; 3.2 Direct contrasts with other unprefixed verbs; 3.2.1 Sustain an activity (befragen, begrüßen, begründen, behalten); 3.2.2 More complex activities (befürchten, bemessen, betreffen); 3.2.3 Accusative LM vs accusative FG (befühlen, beschließen, betreiben, benutzen); 3.2.4 Special notice: Merken vs. bemerken; 3.3 Bare denominals vs denominal be- verbs.

3.3.1 Sustained processes (belüften)3.3.2 Untransformed LMs (besalzen, bekrönen); 3.3.3 Uncompleted events (bekleiden); 3.3.4 Marking the construction as denominal; 3.4 Deadjectival verbs (befeuchten, betrüben, bereinigen); 3.5 Summary: The semantic contribution of be-; 4. Stylistic tendencies; 4.1 Register; 4.2 Past participles; 4.3 Marking complex denominal base verbs; 5. The irrelevance of themes; 5.1 Themes and instruments; 5.2 Be- verbs with no theme; 6. Frequencies; Chapter 3. Ent-; 1. Schematic meaning; 1.1 Privative ent-; 1.2 Separation by a focal theme.

1.3 The shared underlying pattern2. Contrasts with unprefixed verbs; 2.1 Simple verbs; 2.2 Particle verbs with ab- and aus-; 2.3 Particle verbs with an-; 3. Issues with ent- verbs; 3.1 'Reversative' ent-; 3.2 'Inchoative' ent-?; 3.3 "Illogical" deadjectival privatives with resulting state (entleeren); 3.4 Privative divesting vs separating with a focal theme; 3.4.1 From 'divesting of' to 'separating from' (entheben, entbinden, enteignen); 3.4.2 Von-PPs vs genitive; 3.4.3 English of/from alternations; 4. Frequencies; Chapter 4. Er-; 1. Schematic meaning; 1.1 The focal nouns.

The Semantics of German Verb Prefixes is the most comprehensive study ever undertaken in this area of German grammar. Using an extensive collection of naturally occurring data, the author proposes an image-schematic interpretation for each of the productive prefixes be-, ver-, er-, ent-, zer-, um-, über-, unter-, and durch- . These abstract semantic patterns underlie a remarkable range of particular meanings, and they consistently account for subtle contrasts between prefixed verbs and alternative constructions such as simple verbs, particle verbs, and verbs with other pref.

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