Coverb

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Coverbs is a term of General linguistics most often applied in languages with serial verb construction, but also for complex predicates consisting of two verbs with one of them being an auxiliary verb contributing different kinds of information like modality, direction or aktionsart. It fulfills a similar function as adpositions would in many Indogermanic languages like Dutch or Russian. Coverbs exist in a number of east and south-east Asian languages (e.g. Chinese), as well as west African languages (e.g. Yoruba).

Coverbs must not be confused with Converbs.

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[edit] Coverbs in Chinese

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了(le)
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In Chinese linguisics, coverb is a part of speech that includes words that are lexically verbs, but are generally used to convey the meaning of prepositions. The term preverb is also sometimes used to refer to coverbs; however that term has its own separate meaning as well.

Whether prepositions exist in Chinese is sometimes considered an open question. The role of prepositions in Chinese is fulfilled by localizers appearing as postpositions, and by coverbs. For this reason, coverbs are often referred to as prepositions because they appear before the noun phrase they modify. In Chinese, both prepositions and coverbs are referred to as 介詞 (pinyin: jiè cí). However, unlike prepositions, coverbs can sometimes stand alone as main verbs. The use of coverbs is part of the serial verb construction, which is a basic feature of Chinese grammar. For instance:

我(wǒ)帮(bāng)你(nǐ)找(zhǎo)他(tā)。(.) [ 我幫你找他。 ]
literally: I help you find him.
I will find him for you.

The coverb phrase, "help you" (bāng nǐ), is used in conjunction with the main verb "find" (zhǎo) and functions the same way as the English prepositional phrase "for you" in this context.

Certain verbs in Chinese can function as coverbs, taking on an idiomatic prepositional meaning. For instance, when used as a standalone verb, 到 (dào) means "to arrive." However, when used as a coverb, it can mean "to." Many coverbs are often used only in their prepositional sense, such as 从 (cóng), which is almost always seen as a coverb meaning "from." Here is an example showing a serial verb construction involving several coverbs:

我(wǒ)坐(zuò)飞机(fēijī)从(cóng)上海(Shànghǎi)到(dào)北京(Běijīng)去(qù)。(.) [ 我坐飛機從上海到北京去。 ]
literally: I sit aircraft originate Shanghai arrive Beijing go.
I go from Shanghai to Beijing by aircraft.

Many coverbs can be used as the main verb in a sentence, usually with the addition of modal particles.

我(wǒ)到(dào)北京(Běijīng)了(le)。(.) [ 我到北京了。 ]
I have arrived in Beijing.


[edit] Coverbs in Hungarian

Coverbs in Hungarian provide these roles:

  • additional information about how a verb is executed
  • showing the completeness of an action
  • a role that is similar to changing the grammatical aspect of a verb
  • changing the meaning of a verb to something more idiomatic

[edit] Execution information

Coverbs can provide small information that would be performed by such English words as "up", "down", "away", "out". Example:

megyek  I go .... elmegyek  I go away
lép  he steps .... belép  He steps in

The are often used with a noun case that's similar to the coverb:

belép a boltba  He steps in(to) the shop
felugrik az asztalra  He jumps up onto the table
átmegyek Danielhoz  I go across to Daniel

[edit] Completion of an action

Some coverbs, notably ki-, el- and meg-, can express that an action has been finished.

olvasta a levelet He read the letter

kiolvasta a levelet He read the letter (all the way to the end)

[edit] Aspect

The coverb meg- can change the meaning of a verb in a way that's very similar to changing the aspect of an English verb. It changes verbs in a way that's similar to turning "I am swimming" into "I swim"


[edit] Idiomatic meaning

A coverb can change the meaning of a verb into something more idiomatic, even something quite unexpected:

ad - give

elad - sell (note: it is not, as the literal meaning might imply, "give-away"!)

[edit] Splitting of coverbs

A coverb can split from the verb and change its position in the sentence to express emphasis. Generally, the word being emphasised will precede the conjugated verb and be at the start of the sentence/phrase, and if the verb is not the focus then the coverb must detach and move to a position that reflects that it is not the most important part.

felugrik az asztalra He jumps up onto the table (neutral)

az asztalra ugrik fel He jumps up onto the table (it is the table onto which he jumps). Note how the part before the verb (the table) is in focus, and to the coverb has been demoted to behind the verb.

fel ugrik az asztalra He jumps up onto the table


A coverb will split from the infinitive verb when a conjugated verb modifies it:

mondani - to say

elmondani - to tell

el akarok mondani - I want to tell

[edit] External links

HungarianReference.com section on Hungarian coverbs

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