Jan Stenger, "Fortbewegung ohne Bewegungsverben im Griechischen", in: Silvia Kutscher and Daniel A. Werning (Eds.), On Ancient Grammars of Space. Linguistic Research on the Expression of Spatial Relations and Motion in Ancient Languages, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2014, 83–108

Abstract

This article addresses some remarkable and hitherto neglected possibilities of coding motion events in
Classical Greek. According to Talmy’s lexicalization pattern, Greek is a satellite-framed language, that
means, it expresses manner+motion in the verb, while path occurs as an element associated with the
verb, esp. as a preverb, often in combination with prepositional phrases. In some cases, however, a
motion verb proper is missing altogether although the concept of translational motion obviously is
involved. Instead of a manner+motion verb we find either intransitive process verbs or verbs of selfcontained
motion (motion within a static relation), whereas the path is added in further morphosyntactic
elements, e. g. in prepositional phrases or directional adverbs. We can identify different
patterns of this construction. This finding is in accordance with the view that satellite-framed
languages allow for detailed description of path within a clause, because the syntax makes it possible
to accumulate path satellites to a single verb, along with prepositional phrases. In sum, in Classical
Greek the concept of displacement is represented not exclusively by the verb, but by the whole
construction. Furthermore, world knowledge and pragmatic factors play a determining role in
processing motion events.

Published In

Silvia Kutscher and Daniel A. Werning (Eds.), On Ancient Grammars of Space. Linguistic Research on the Expression of Spatial Relations and Motion in Ancient Languages, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2014