36.1085, Diss: Czech, Dutch, English, German; General Linguistics, Morphology, Pragmatics, Semantics, Syntax: "Because Reasons:Non-finite causal constructions in English, German, Dutch, and Czech" Konvička (2024)

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-36-1085. Tue Apr 01 2025. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 36.1085, Diss: Czech, Dutch, English, German; General Linguistics, Morphology, Pragmatics, Semantics, Syntax: "Because Reasons:Non-finite causal constructions in English, German, Dutch, and Czech" Konvička (2024)

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Date: 28-Mar-2025
From: Martin Konvička [martin.konvicka at fu-berlin.de]
Subject: General Linguistics, Morphology, Pragmatics, Semantics, Syntax; Because Reasons: Konvička (2024)


Institution: Freie Universität Berlin
Degree Date: 2024

Dissertation Title: Because reasons. Non-finite causal constructions
in English, German, Dutch, and Czech

Dissertation URL: https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/43787

Linguistic Field(s): General Linguistics
                     Morphology
                     Pragmatics
                     Semantics
                     Syntax

Subject Language(s): Czech (ces)
                     Dutch (nld)
                     English (eng)
                     German (deu)

Dissertation Director(s): Ferdinand von Mengden

Dissertation Abstract:

This manuscript represents a comprehensive analysis of non-finite
causal constructions in English, German, Dutch, and Czech. Based on a
corpus of social media posts, the study provides an analysis of the
formal and functional aspects of these constructions, their
development, and their cross-linguistic similarities and differences.
The study follows the principles of (Diasystematic) Construction
Grammar. Formally, these constructions differ from both causal clauses
and causal prepositional constructions. In contrast to the former, the
complement of non-finite causal constructions must be non-finite. In
contrast to the latter, however, the complement slot can be filled by
a wider range of elements than just noun phrases. Elliptical clauses,
non-elliptical noun phrases, or non-elliptical non-noun phrases can
fill the complement slot of non-finite causal constructions.
Functionally, non-finite causal constructions express a causal link
between a matrix clause, which they follow, and the element in their
complement slot. In this regard, these constructions overlap with both
causal clauses and prepositional constructions. However, non-finite
causal constructions can also serve to express a comment about the
causal link. The development of non-finite causal constructions
cross-linguistically follows a uniform spiral pathway. Elliptical
non-finite causal constructions develop in the first step out of
non-elliptical causal clauses. Elliptical non-finite causal
constructions subsequently give rise to their non-elliptical variants.
Against the backdrop of these empirical observations, the study draws
theoretical conclusions regarding the relationship between linguistic
data and their interpretation, linguistic categories and
categorisation, and questions of language contact.



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