The spatio-temporal structure of narrative texts : a study of aspect
The aim of this thesis is to investigate the spatio-temporal structure of narratives. The emphasis is on the study of Finnish locative constructions with aspectual meaning. A distinction is drawn between semantic and discourse anaphora: 'semantic' anaphors are semantically incomplete spatio-temporal expressions, which have to be interpreted with respect to a spatio-temporal antecedent; 'discourse anaphora' refers to the intersentential relations (e.g. precedence or succession) between spatio-temporally complete expressions. Throughout the thesis, an attempt is made to separate semantics and pragmatics: the emphasis is on the interaction of predicate class, sentence aspect and the aspectual perspective of sentences in discourse. Space and time are assumed to be two distinct, though interrelated, dimensions; therefore, spatial and temporal anaphora are distinguished. Spatial relations are considered to be more basic than temporal ones; and furthermore, the notion of 'spatial location' is assumed to include not only abstract categories relating to mental and physical states, but also abstract linguistic categories, such as telic processes and absolute states. It is the interaction of these abstract and concrete
Rigler, Elina
The spatio-temporal structure of narrative texts : a study of aspect. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the spatio-temporal structure of narratives. The emphasis is on the study of Finnish locative constructions with aspectual meaning. A distinction is drawn between semantic and discourse anaphora: 'semantic' anaphors are semantically incomplete spatio-temporal expressions, which have to be interpreted with respect to a spatio-temporal antecedent; 'discourse anaphora' refers to the intersentential relations (e.g. precedence or succession) between spatio-temporally complete expressions. Throughout the thesis, an attempt is made to separate semantics and pragmatics: the emphasis is on the interaction of predicate class, sentence aspect and the aspectual perspective of sentences in discourse. Space and time are assumed to be two distinct, though interrelated, dimensions; therefore, spatial and temporal anaphora are distinguished. Spatial relations are considered to be more basic than temporal ones; and furthermore, the notion of 'spatial location' is assumed to include not only abstract categories relating to mental and physical states, but also abstract linguistic categories, such as telic processes and absolute states. It is the interaction of these abstract and concrete
spatio_temporal structure narrative_text study aspect aim_investigate spatio_temporal structure narrative emphasis study finnish locative construction aspectual meaning distinction_drawn semantic discourse anaphora semantic anaphor semantically incomplete spatio_temporal expression interpreted respect spatio_temporal antecedent discourse anaphora refers relation precedence succession temporally complete expression throughout attempt_make separate semantics_pragmatic emphasis interaction predicate class sentence aspect aspectual perspective sentence discourse space_time assume two_distinct though interrelated dimension therefore spatial_temporal anaphora distinguish spatial_relation consider basic temporal furthermore notion spatial location assume include abstract category relate mental_physical state also abstract linguistic category telic process absolute state interaction abstract concrete