Om existens, tid och lokalitet i svenskan

Abstract

The central problems discussed in this study are the semantic structure of existential inchoative sentences in modem standard Swedish, the distribution of syntactic functions within them, the time reference of locative expressions, and the relation between locative adverbials and locative attributes. Generative semantics formes the basic semantic framework of the study. Existential inch. sentences (eg. to build a cottage out of something) express the coming into existence of an entity (ie. result). They thus contain the semantic prime EXIST. If the source (x) of the result (y) is expressed, there exists a relation of diachronic identity between the source and the result. Such sentences exhibit the predication UPPSTA (y, x) ('y emerges from x'). Its truth conditions can be defined in terms of existence, time, and identity. Depending on the quantitative and qualitative relations between the sets y and x, the sentences are classified into sentences expressing the action of combining, sentences expressing the action of separating, sentences expressing transformation, and sentences expressing alteration. The argument associated with the meaning of totality is manifested as either subject or direct object. The locative adverbials are divided into event adverbials, resultative adverbials and attributive adverbials. Sentences with an event adverbial express that an entity was in some place at the point of event. The resultative locatives refer to an open ended stretch of time starting from the point of event. Like attributes, the attributive adverbials can refer to several different time points, except the point of event. Their temporal interpretation is entirely a pragmatic matter.