Abstract
The comparison of spatial prepositions in Polish and Swedish is based on the assumption that spatial exponents of different languages represent a common conceptual system, a kind of elementary geometry. The common universe consists of DISTANCE, DIMENSIONS, INTERIOR, EXTERIOR and concepts related to the vertical and to the horisontal axis. The languagespecific distinctions show that each language discovers or stresses somewhat different features of the world referred to. Thus, on the one hand, the repertoire of spatial exponents tends to differ from language to language. On the other hand, there are differences in the semantic structure. Some Swedish prepositions need nouns denoting ringformed, cassetteshaped or bending objects, while Polish prepositions specify objects as full or empty, being in dynamic contact, or surrounded by other objects like islands. Swedish stresses the one- and three-dimensionality of objects more consistently than Polish. External surface of objects and the close adjacency are also differently structured in the languages in question. Some difference in spatial metonymy and metaphors are also pointed out.
References
Anderson, J. M. 1971. The Grammar of Case. Towards a Localistic Theory. London: Cambridge University Press.
Doroszewski, W. 1965, 1968 Słownik języka polskiego, bd 2 och bd 10. Warszawa: PWN.
Blansitt, E. L. 1988. Datives and allatives, I: M. Hammond, E. Moravcsik, J. Wirth (eds.), Studies in Syntactic Typology. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: Benjamins, pp. 173192.
Bogusławski, A. 1973. Nazwy pospolite przedmiotów konkretnych i niektóre właściwości ich form liczbowych i połączeń z liczebnikami w języku polskim. I: Liczba, ilość, miara. Wrocław: Ossolineum, s. 7-35.
Goddard, C. & A. Wierzbicka (eds.) 1994. Semantic and Lexical Universals. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Grabowski, J., P. Weiss 1996. Words and Concepts. The prepositional inventory of languages: a factor that affects comprehension of spatial prepositions. I: Katarzyna Jaszczolt & Ken Turner (eds.), Contrastive Semantics and Pragmatics, Vol. 1: Meanings and Representations. Pergamon (Elsevier Science). Vol. 18 of Language Sciences.
Gumperz J., S. Levinson (eds.) 1996, Rethinking linguistic relativity, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Johnson M., G. Lakoff 1980. Metaphors We Live by. Chicago: The University of Chicago.
Kibrik A. Je. 1970. K tipologii prostranstvennych znacenij, I: V. A. Zvegintsev (utg.), Jazyk i celovek, Moskva.
Klebanowska B. 1971. Znaczenia lokatywne polskich przyimków właściwych, Wroclaw: Ossolineum.
Kudzinowski Cz. 1978. Gramatyka języka fińskiego. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Naukowe UAM.
Levy J. 1998. Konstnärlig stil och „översättarstil”. I: L. Kleberg (red.), Med andra ord. Texter om litterär översättning. Stockholm: Natur och Kultur, s. 156-171.
Lyons J. 1977. Semantics. Vol. 1-2. London: Cambridge University Press.
Maciejewski, W. 1996. O przestrzeni w języku. Studium typologiczne z językiem polskim w centrum. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Naukowe UAM.
Miller G. A., P. N. Johnson-Laird 1976. Language and Perception. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press & London: Cambridge University Press.
Noreen A., 1904. Vart spr&k, Bd 5: Betydelselära. Lund.
Ruke-Dravina V. 1978. Local Expressions in Modern Latvian. I: F. de Sivers (ed.), Structuration de I'espace dans les langues de la Baltique Orientale. LACITOdocuments, Paris: SELAF, s. 47-55.
Schooneveld, van, C. H. 1978. Semantic transmutations. Prolegomena to a Calculus of Meaning. Vol. 1: The Cardinal Semantic Structure of Prepositions, Cases, and Paratactic Constructions in Contemporary Standard Russian. Physsardt.
Schröder, J. 1986, Lexikon deutscher Präpositionen. Leipzig: Verlag Enzyklopädie.
Sjöström, S. 1990. Spatial Relations. Göteborg: Department of Linguistics, University of Göteborg.
Strzelecka, E. 1988. Svenska rumsliga verbpartiklar och deras polska motsvarigheter. Nysvenska studier 68, s. 57-74.
Talmy, L. 1983. How language structures space. I: H. Pick, L. Acredolo (eds.), Spatial Orientation: Theory, Research and Application. New York: Plenum Press, pp. 225320.
Ucherek, E. 1991. Polsko-francuski słownik przyimków. Warszawa: PWN.
Underhill R. 1976. Turkish Grammar. Cambridge Mass.: The MIT Press.
Verhaar J. W. M. (ed.) 1969-1972. The Verb 'Be' and Its Synonyms. Vol. 1-5, Dordrecht: D. Reidel.
Weinsberg A. 1973. Przyimki przestrzenne w języku polskim, niemieckim i rumuńskim. Wrocław: Ossolineum.
Wierzbicka, A. 1969. Dociekania semantyczne. Wrocław: Ossolineum. En del av exempel i artikeln har hämtats från:
Johannisson T., KG. Ljunggren, 1977. Suensk handordbok. Konstruktioner och fraseologi. Naćka: Esselte.