One sententional model with the prepositional accusativ AS proleptic subject

Abstract

The topic of this paper is a model of two-predicate sentence in which with the matrix predication, which makes the so-called sentential-transitive verb, there appears accusative with the preposition ZA (for) and the complement clause with the conjunction DA (that). On the basis of such formal structure, it represents a sentence with two objects - one non-propositional object in the form of the prepositional accusative - indirect type and the other propositional object, sententially formalized. Conducted analysis showed that this is a specific sentential model which could be viewed at several relevant levels: at the syntactic, syntactic-semantic, semantic and pragmatic level, because only that way one can view all its features. It turned out that the status of complement clause was not problematic - it is a propositional-sentential object, obligatorily postponed both to the basic predication and to the prepositional accusative, but the prepositional accusative, though placed in the matrix sentence, is not in the direct correlation with its predication, so it is not its object, but has the function of PROLEPTIC SUBJECT of the complement clause (in the periphrasis test, the prepositional accusative is turned into nominative and is placed inside the complement clause), and semantically it is a pseudoagent: the bearer of the feature expressed in the predicate of the complement clause whose referent most frequently has the feature ‘alive’ ‘human’, but can also be abstract. Therefore, the verbs which appear in the matrix predication are the verbs of simple, obligatorily propositional-sentential transitivity which in addition also belong to specific semantic classes: it is the case with the verbs of cognition: primarily the basic verb of having knowledge znati (know) and the verbs of acquiring knowledge saznati, doznati (get to know); the verbs of a different degree of certainty about the factual situation: the verb garantovati (guarantee) and the copulative-adjectival structure biti siguran (be certain), biti ubeđen (be assured) and the verbs verovati (believe), misliti (think); then the verb of fictitious cognition uobražavati (imagine); the verbs of speaking pričati (talk) and, used in that meaning, the verbs čuti (hear), čitati (read), then kazati (say), šuškati ‘speak quietly’ (whisper), sumnjati (doubt), nagađati (suspect); and at the end the verbs of fear: brinuti se ‘fear’ (worry), bojati se (fear), pribojavati se (have fears), plašiti se (fear), strepeti (fear for), strahovati (be apprehensive). Since with these verbs the complement proposition acquires various features when it comes to factivity, this sentential model is analyzed from that perspective, too. Finally, the paper also discusses the frequency of negative / positive characterization of the referent of the proleptic subject.

Keywords

• nema