Pernilla Hallonsten Halling

The constructional-typological approach, sampling, and data collection

1. Introduction

In this chapter, I discuss the methodology used in this dissertation. First, the functions under examination (adverbs, attributive adjectives, and predicative adjectives) are exam- ined in detail in section 4.2, with a discussion of how they have been chosen and their relevance to the typological comparison. For the analysis of (parts of) the data, I use the constructional-typological approach, as described in detail in section 4.3. The sampling procedure and data collection are discussed in section 4.4.

2. The domains of attributive adjectives, predicative adjectives, and adverbs

Adjectives and adverbs are both modifiers, although within different domains, as discussed in the previous two chapters. Adjectives modify nouns within referring expressions, and adverbs modify verbs within predicating expressions (cf. Croft 2001: 94). Although the aim of this study is primarily to examine adverbs typologically, the parallel modifier function of adjectives and adverbs calls for a cross-linguistic comparison of the two, as different types of modifiers within the same function of modification. Adjectives are tra- ditionally defined as having two different functions: attributive and predicative (cf. e.g. Dixon 2004: 10). Based on the parallel modifier function, attributive adjectives appear to be the most obvious comparative counterpart to adverbs. Predicative adjectives, on the other hand, do not function as modifiers. In this thesis, predicative adjectives are functionally defined as property predication (cf. Croft 2001: 92, see also sections 2.3.4 and 3.2), and adverbs are defined as property modification within a predicating expression. Both predicative adjectives and adverbs thus contain property words that are closely con- nected to predication. Property predication is, needless to say, an instance of predication. Adverbs use properties to modify within predicating expressions, and are thus somehow involved in predication. If adverbs are to be fully examined and compared to adjectives cross-linguistically, predicative adjectives must then also be included. In many languages, predicative adjectives consist of a property word and a copula verb, whereas adverbs are property words that occur with any of a large number of verbs. Structurally, the only difference appears to be the choice of verb, which further points to a potential affinity between predicative adjectives and adverbs. The expanded version of Croft’s table of

structural coding constructions for parts of speech that I proposed in section 3.2 is pre- sented once again in table 4.1.¹ Here, the area that represents the three functions in focus has been highlighted, and it is clear that we are dealing with three adjacent subregions. Note that we are interested in the regions adjacent to adverbs, which is why deadjectival nouns (property words used for reference) are not included. The larger picture shows that these three domains are related, which is yet another reason to compare their encoding cross-linguistically.

Table 4.1. Encoding of semantic classes and discourse functions with the area for attributive adjectives, adverbs, and predicative adjectives highlighted; expanded version of Croft (2001: 88)

Reference Modification Predication within

referent predicate

Objects

unmarked nouns
genitive, PPs on verbs predicate adjectivilizations, nominals,
PPs on nouns copulas

Properties deadjectival
nouns