Linguistic expressions of emotion in Kalaallisut (West Greenlandic)

Abstract

How are emotions expressed in Kalaallisut
In Kalaallisut the expressions of emotions are expressed by verbal stems, verbal as well as nominal affixes, and of ‘metaphorical’ expressions. Within verbal stems there are both mono morphemic ‘basic’ emotion terms and also ‘metaphorical’ terms which consist of compound verbal stems. Besides these it seems there are specific aspectual markers with concrete emotional meanings, and some verbal modifying affixes with emotional meanings also, and finally a group of nominal modifiers which express the speakers emotional evaluation of another person. In this paper I’ll consider these questions:
-do emotions terms have special linguistic constructions or not?
- do emotions verbs have specificity in comparison with other verbs, for example in telicity?
-are special affixes linked with the verbs of emotion?
- do emotions verbs have special temporal or aspectual affixes?


Original languageEnglish
Publication date19 Oct 2010
Number of pages6
Publication statusPublished - 19 Oct 2010
EventThe Typology of the Expression of Emotion: Syntax and Semantics - Paris , France
Duration: 19 Oct 201019 Oct 2010

Workshop

WorkshopThe Typology of the Expression of Emotion: Syntax and Semantics
Country/TerritoryFrance
CityParis
Period19/10/201019/10/2010

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