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#5653. 2重属格表現 a friend of mine の2つの意味的特徴[double_genitive][genitive][syntax][definiteness][semantics]

2024-10-18

 「#5647. a friend of mine --- 2重属格」 ([2024-10-12-1]) に続き,double_genitive あるいは post-genitive と呼ばれる,この妙な表現の意味的特徴を考えてみたい.
 Quirk et al. (17.46) によれば意味的特徴は2つある.(1) of の後ろに来る名詞句が定的 (definite) であり人間 (human) であること,(2) 一方,of の前に来る主要部は不定的 (indefinite) であることだ.

. . . It will be observed that the postmodifier must be definite and human:

an opera of Verdi'sBUT NOT: *an opera of a composer's
an opera of my friend'sBUT NOT: *a funnel of the ships


There are conditions that also affect the head of the whole noun phrase. The head must be essentially indefinite: that is, the head must be seen as one of an unspecified number of items attributed to the postmodifier. Thus [1--3] but not [4]:

A friend of the doctor's has arrived.[1]
A daughter of Mrs Brown's has arrived.[2]
Any daughter of Mrs Brown's is welcome.[3]
*The daughter of Mrs Brown's has arrived.[4]


As a consequence of the condition that the head must be indefinite, the head cannot be a proper noun . . . . Thus while we have [5], we cannot have [6] and [7]:

Mrs Brown's Mary[5]
*Mary of Mrs Brown[6]
*Mary of Mrs Brown's[7]


 なるほど a friend of mine のタイプの2重属格表現の各要素を主に定・不定 (definiteness) の観点から分析すると,上記の2つの特徴があることはわかった.だが,考えてみれば,これらは代替表現である one of my friends についても当てはまる意味的特徴である.この2種類の表現が意味的に異ならないとすれば,共存している意義は何なのだろうか.

 ・ Quirk, Randolph, Sidney Greenbaum, Geoffrey Leech, and Jan Svartvik. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. London: Longman, 1985.

Referrer (Inside): [2024-10-20-1] [2024-10-19-1]

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