On a special type of English there-existential construction and its alternant : A perspective in Construction Grammar

Minami, Yusuke

doi:https://doi.org/10.18910/103060

On a special type of English there-existential construction and its alternant : A perspective in Construction Grammar

Minami, Yusuke

OUCCL(Osaka University Papers in Comparative Contrastive Linguistics), 2025, 2, 65-73

アクセス数:39件（2026-02-16 06:43 集計）

固定URL: https://doi.org/10.18910/103060

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タイトル	On a special type of English there-existential construction and its alternant : A perspective in Construction Grammar
著者	NRID 1000040552211 1000040552211 著者名 Minami, Yusuke
キーワード等	there-existential construction
	extreme constructionism
	horizontal links
	formal variation
	principle of synonymy/equivalence
抄録	This paper examines an understudied type of the English there-existential construction that is used to describe a mental experience which accompanies a certain state denoted by the gerund form (e.g., There is comfort in knowing that other people felt the same way). It can be observed that the preposition in of the final prepositional phrase of the construction is sometimes omitted, making a formal variant which exhibits no semantic/functional departure from the full-form variant. This will then be argued to be problematic for the view which strictly follows the functional principle that stipulates an isomorphic relationship between formal differences and semantic/functional distinctions. From the perspective of Construction Grammar, it will be shown that the problem can be resolved by referring to horizontal links that connect structurally different constructions; in contrast to well researched types of there-existential construction, the construction in question is horizontally linked to a transitive-verb construction in which the subject refers to who has the mental experience denoted by the object. It will then be suggested that this horizontal link is responsible for the observed formal variation. Lastly, the issue of formulating a principle for free formal variation in grammar will be addressed.
出版者	Department of Comparative and Contrastive Linguistics, Graduate School of Humanities, Osaka University
収録物名	OUCCL(Osaka University Papers in Comparative Contrastive Linguistics)
巻(号)	2
ページ	65-73
刊行年月	2025-03
言語	英語
ハンドルURL	https://hdl.handle.net/11094/103060
DOI	https://doi.org/10.18910/103060
アクセス権	open access
出版タイプ	Version of Record
カテゴリ	紀要論文 Departmental Bulletin Paper
カテゴリ	OUCCL(Osaka University Papers in Comparative Contrastive Linguistics) / Volume 2

資源タイプ	紀要論文
ローカル資源タイプ	紀要論文
DCMI資源タイプ	text
DCTERMS.bibliographicCitation	OUCCL(Osaka University Papers in Comparative Contrastive Linguistics). 2025, 2, p. 65-73
DC.title	On a special type of English there-existential construction and its alternant : A perspective in Construction Grammar
DC.creator	Minami, Yusuke
DC.publisher	Department of Comparative and Contrastive Linguistics, Graduate School of Humanities, Osaka University
DC.language' scheme='DCTERMS.RFC1766	英語
DC.type' scheme='DCTERMS.DCMIType	text
DCTERMS.issued' scheme='DCTERMS.W3CDTF	2025-03
DC.subject	there-existential construction
	extreme constructionism
	horizontal links
	formal variation
	principle of synonymy/equivalence
DCTERMS.abstract	This paper examines an understudied type of the English there-existential construction that is used to describe a mental experience which accompanies a certain state denoted by the gerund form (e.g., There is comfort in knowing that other people felt the same way). It can be observed that the preposition in of the final prepositional phrase of the construction is sometimes omitted, making a formal variant which exhibits no semantic/functional departure from the full-form variant. This will then be argued to be problematic for the view which strictly follows the functional principle that stipulates an isomorphic relationship between formal differences and semantic/functional distinctions. From the perspective of Construction Grammar, it will be shown that the problem can be resolved by referring to horizontal links that connect structurally different constructions; in contrast to well researched types of there-existential construction, the construction in question is horizontally linked to a transitive-verb construction in which the subject refers to who has the mental experience denoted by the object. It will then be suggested that this horizontal link is responsible for the observed formal variation. Lastly, the issue of formulating a principle for free formal variation in grammar will be addressed.
DC.identifier	10.18910/103060
DC.format	103060
citation_title	On a special type of English there-existential construction and its alternant : A perspective in Construction Grammar
citation_author	Minami, Yusuke
citation_publisher	Department of Comparative and Contrastive Linguistics, Graduate School of Humanities, Osaka University
citation_language	英語
citation_date	2025-03
citation_journal_title	OUCCL(Osaka University Papers in Comparative Contrastive Linguistics)
citation_volume	2
citation_firstpage	65
citation_lastpage	73
citation_public_url	https://hdl.handle.net/11094/103060
citation_doi_detail	10.18910/103060
citation_doi	https://doi.org/10.18910/103060

On a special type of English there-existential construction and its alternant : A perspective in Construction Grammar

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