Nomina Agentis in the language of Shakespearean drama

Table of contents

Abbreviations and symbols / 9
Introduction / 11
Chapter 1: Nominalisations in selected linguistic theories / 15
1.1 The place of nominalisations in grammar / 15
1.2 Nominalisations in Structural Linguistics / 17
1.3 Nominalisations in Transformational-Generative Grammar (TGG) / 18
1.4 Nominalisations in Generative Semantics (GS) / 25
1.5 Nominalisations in Cognitive Linguistics / 27
1.6 Nominalisations in the approaches based on the theory of selectional restrictions / 29
1.7 Conclusion / 32

Chapter 2: The problem of productivity in word-formation / 33
2.1 The notion of productivity in linguistics / 33
2.2 Productivity as frequency versus productivity as potentiality / 34
2.3 Productivity with relation to language levels / 38
2.4 Degrees of productivity / 38
2.5 Restrictions on productivity / 39
2.5.1 Linguistic r estrictions / 39
2.5.2 Extralinguistic restrictions on productivity / 40
2.6 Measuring productivity / 42
2.6.1 Measures based on type frequency / 42
2.6.2 Measures based on token frequency / 43
2.7 Productivity versus creativity / 45
2.8 Prerequisites for productivity / 45
2.9 The problem of estimating productivity in historical language studies / 47
2.10 Conclusion / 48

Chapter 3: Nomina Agentis versus Nomina Instrumenti: The fuzziness of categorial borders / 51
3.1 Formal and semantic correspondence between agents and instruments / 51
3.2 Attempts at isolating the categorial features for agents and instruments / 52
3.3 Agents and instruments in the light of the theory of categorisation / 55
3.4 Categories and categorisation in Cognitive Linguistics / 58
3.5 Conclusion / 60

Chapter 4: Semantic, syntactic, and morphological properties of agent nouns / 63
4.1 Agents versus locatives / 63
4.2 Agents versus experiencers / 64
4.3 Agency and C ausality / 66
4.4 Other semantic features of agents / 67
4.5 Semantic relations between an agent noun and its motivating verbal base: Habitual versus actual agents / 68
4.6 Denominal Nomina Agentis / 70
4.7 Methods of deriving Nomina Agentis in Modern English / 73
4.7.1 The suffix -ant/-ent / 73
4.7.2 The suffix -ar / 74
4.7.3 The suffix -ee / 75
4.7.4 The suffix -er / 76
4.7.5 The suffix -ess / 80
4.7.6 The suffix -ic/-ician / 80
4.7.7 The suffix -ist / 81
4.7.8 The suffix -or / 81
4.7.9 The suffix -ster / 83
4.7.10 The suffix -Ø (conversion) / 83
4.8 Conclusion / 84

Chapter 5: Early Modern English ― linguistic and cultural background / 85
5.1 External history and its influence on language / 85
5.2 Attitudes to language / 86
5.3 Vocabulary and word-formation / 86
5.4 Semantic changes / 87
5.5 Conclusion / 95

Chapter 6: Agent nouns in Shakespeare’s plays / 97
6.1 Source material and data collection / 97
6.2 Definition and classification of agent nouns / 98
6.3 General corpus characteristics / 99
6.4a Unanalysable agent nouns / 99
6.4b Semantic analysis / 100
6.5 Analysable a gent n ouns / 104
6.5.1 The suffix -er / 105
6.5.1.1 Formal a nalysis / 105
6.5.1.2 Semantic a nalysis / 108
6.5.1.2.1 Deverbal a gent n ouns / 108
6.5.1.2.2 Denominal agent nouns / 110
6.5.1.3 Shakespeare’s neosemanticisms in -er / 111
6.5.1.4 Shakespeare’s agentive neologisms in -er / 112
6.5.1.4.1 Shakespeare’s agentive neologisms in -er: Semantics / 113
6.5.1.4.2 Shakespeare’s agentive neologisms in -er: Institutionalisation / 114
6.5.2 The suffix -or / 114
6.5.2.1 Formal a nalysis / 115
6.5.2.2 Semantic analysis / 116
6.5.3 The semi-suffix -man / 117
6.5.3.1 Formal a nalysis / 118
6.5.3.2 Semantic analysis / 119
6.5.4 The suffix -ess / 121
6.5.4.1 Formal a nalysis / 121
6.5.4.2 Semantic analysis / 122
6.5.5 The suffix -ant / 123
6.5.5.1 Formal a nalysis / 123
6.5.5.2 Semantic analysis / 124
6.5.6 The suffix -ist / 125
6.5.6.1 Formal a nalysis / 125
6.5.6.2 Semantic analysis / 126
6.5.7 The suffix -ian/-ician / 127
6.5.7.1 Formal analysis / 128
6.5.7.2 Semantic a nalysis / 128
6.5.8 The suffix -ster / 129
6.5.8.1 Formal a nalysis / 129
6.5.8.2 Semantic analysis / 130
6.5.9 The suffix -eer / 131
6.5.9.1 Formal a nalysis / 131
6.5.9.2 Semantic a nalysis / 131
6.5.10 The suffix -ar / 132
6.6 Conclusion / 132

Conclusions / 137
Bibliography / 139
Index of subjects / 147
Index of scholars / 149
Appendix: Shakespeare’s agentive neologisms / 151
Streszczenie / 153
Zusammenfassung / 155