[Lexicog] Re: embiggen

[Rudolph Troike]

John,

   I liked the semantic formalism in the examples you cited. Does that
come from the dictionary, or is that your own contribution? If from the
dictionary, what is the reference for the dictionary? I've never seen
one that provides that kind of information -- it would be useful to have.

   However, I disagree with one aspect of the definitions. -EN added to
an adjective (actually Stative Verb) not only inchoativizes it, but adds
a comparative or incremental component (if the term is measurable)-- at
least, that is an American English perspective, perhaps not British.

         The road is wide.
         The road widened. (= became widER)

         The days are long in summer.
         The days lengthen in summer.  (= become longER, not just become long)

    By the way, Michael Hammond published an article on the uses of -EN,
EN-, and the circumfix EN-___-EN some time ago. (NB:/em/- is simply an allo-
morph of {EN-} -- this is a favorite problem example that has been around
in linguistics workbooks for 50 years.)

    Rudy




 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lexicographylist/

<*> Your email settings:
    Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lexicographylist/join
    (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
    mailto:lexicographylist-digest at yahoogroups.com 
    mailto:lexicographylist-fullfeatured at yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    lexicographylist-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/