Suffixal adverbial derivatives and compounds in Vrančić’s dictionary

Abstract

Vrančić’s dictionary has a considerable number of adverbial derivatives, while the number of compound adjectives is noticeably smaller. General descriptive adjectives are derived with suffixes -(a)k, -(a)n, -en, -it, and derivatives coincide semantically to todays words. In the category of adjectives with special meaning, the distribution of suffixes and their combinations with stems directly influences the semantics of a derivative. Frequently, it is not only a question of Vrančić’s subjective intervention but of the fact that such phenomena are a characteristic feature of the language of older writers, as well as a few younger ones (Kašić, Mikalja, Vitezović). The number of Vrančić’s hapax legomena and firstly attested words in that group is a consequence of his efforts to find equivalents to Latin headwords. In a number of examples Vrančić’s solution is modelled on a Latin or Italian equivalent, and rarely on a Hungarian or German one. In the category of compounds, there are many calques, and examples of compounding identical to today’s are also not rare. Endocentricity and exocentricity are transparent only in the diachronic perspective, although Vrančić followed the Croatian model.

Keywords

• suffixes
• derivatives
• suffixation
• compounds
• general meaning
• special meaning