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My major (only?) problem with your post is the first sentence: Is this
a new sense, or is the significant factor the construction?<br>
<br>
The either-or assumption is gratuitous and, I think, wrong. Yes, the
construction is a/the? significant factor. And that is in no way
incompatible with the development of a new sense of a lexical item in
that construction, in fact that is typically the way new senses
develop. A structure, e.g. a word, is used in an environment (such as a
construction) new to it. The meaning the speaker intends and can induce
the hearer to "get" from it in that environment becomes gradually more
and more strongly associated with it. This may continue happening until
even dictionary-makers take notice.<br>
<br>
You notice a difference between waiting trains and waiting ferries.
Clearly for you the association of "train" with this kind of
construction/sense is further along (because of greater usage of the
relevant type) than the parallel association with "ferry". <br>
<br>
--David Tuggy<br>
<br>
sr_shead wrote:
<blockquote cite="mide5g9ke+1v23@eGroups.com" type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Sounds like a new sense of "a ferry" is being gradually
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->conventionalized
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">(at least for that speaker and those in his circle): "the cycle, and
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->the
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">associated period of time, from one ferry trip to the next." And/or a
new (transitive?) sense of "wait" = "wait for/out Obj".
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->
Is this really a new sense of "ferry", or is the significant factor
actually the meaning of the "Wait [for] length-of-time" construction
itself, which licenses length-of-time (including time-period)
construals of unusual fillers? (I have in mind research into the
"meanings" of resultative and ditransitive constructions by, for
example, Adele Goldberg and Hans Boas.)
Similarly, I'm not sure about that new sense of "wait" - is it "wait
for/out Obj", or simply "wait a certain time period" (in this case, on
defined by the ferry routine)?
Some possible support:
* I don't catch ferries, and to me "I waited a ferry" sounded very
strange. However, it didn't take much "searching" to work out what was
meant - though I think the process was probably based on (i) the
normal meaning of "wait length-of-time" constructions, and (ii) my
knowledge about ferries (i.e. that they tend to depart semi-regularly).
* On the other hand, I catch trains all the time - and to me, "I
waited a train [but you still hadn't come]" sounds perfectly normal.
* In neither case would I call it a conventionalised "meaning" of the
noun. At least, it may become a conventionalised collocation /
construction - but you wouldn't use "ferry" or "train" with such a
"sense" (if that makes sense!) in any other context than one related
to the ferry/train running schedule. So, if a friend turns up very
late for a dinner engagement, you wouldn't say "I've waited three
ferries/trains!"
* But I think it is possible to come up with novel constructions which
do make sense (even if they're slightly odd). So, at an amusement
park, waiting at the roller-coaster for a friend who was going to go
on it with you: "I've waited three rides!" (Too odd? Any better examples?)
- Stephen Shead
(newbie wet-behind-the-ears contributor)
--- In <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:lexicographylist@yahoogroups.com">lexicographylist@yahoogroups.com</a>, David Tuggy <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:david_tuggy@..."><david_tuggy@...></a>
wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Sounds like a new sense of "a ferry" is being gradually
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->conventionalized
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">(at least for that speaker and those in his circle): "the cycle, and
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->the
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">associated period of time, from one ferry trip to the next." And/or a
new (transitive?) sense of "wait" = "wait for/out Obj".
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
</pre>
</blockquote>
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