070705 nose causal final

8/14/2019 070705 Nose Causal Final

1/14


2/14


3/14

am anxious-1SG the child-PL-CAUS/ child-PL POSTP

I am anxious about the children (Csepregi 1991: 134).

The following is the procedure of this study with the objective of creating a semantic map of the

causal-final functions. Texts in Hungarian and Finnish are used for the purpose of contrast. Many

examples are given through a text-based survey, and their functions are classified. I add the causal

postposition miattto my investigation of the causal functions. To examine several functions of the

causal-final case and the causal postposition, this study will investigate their use through some

written texts. I gather the forms of the causal-final case and the causal postposition from the

Hungarian texts.

A purpose of this study is to create a semantic map through this functional investigation. This

study will feature a semantic map to express (mainly) cause, reason and other functions, i.e., thefunctional descriptions will be illustrated by the map.

A semantic map is a visualization of multifunctionality. Haspelmath (2003: 213) demonstrates

the previous approach to the semantic map; Figure 1 shows typical dative functions.

Figure 1: Semantic map of typical dative functions (Haspelmath 2003:213)

In this paper, however, an attempt is made to create a semantic map of cause, reason, and other

functions, based on the causal-final case and the causal postposition. This will expose common anddifferent characteristics of the adverbial constructions.

3. A text-based investigation of causal expressions

This study briefly summarizes a methodology of the analysis and illustrates contrastive results. The

contrastive study is a text-based analysis of the Hungarian causal-final case and the causal

postposition, and Finnish equivalents. Two books have been chosen for this investigation, The

Alchemist (1988: English translation) and By the river Piedra I sat down and wept(1996: English

translation), Paul Coelho, both written originally in Portuguese as O Alquimista, and Na margem do

rio Piedra eu sentei e chorei. The books have been translated into Hungarian (Az alkimista, 2002,

3


4/14

and A Piedra foly partjn ltem, s srtam, 2003) as well as Finnish (Alkemisti, 2002 and

Piedrajoen rannalla istuin ja itkin, 2004).

This study makes use of the following parallel texts (cf. Stolz 2001): The Alchemist(henceforth,

Alchemist) and By the river Piedra I sat down and wept (henceforth, Piedra) in their Finnish,

Hungarian, and English versions. When considering reasons and purposes, it is convenient to begin

with the usages of the causal case in Hungarian. First, the Hungarian books are checked in order to

identify the forms with the causal case -rt. Then, the aim is to establish how the Hungarian forms

are translated into Finnish. Moreover, it is necessary to identify not only the causal forms in

Hungarian but also the related forms (causal postpositions and other related lexical forms).

When I pay special attention to the causal-final case -rt, there is one specific marker, i.e., the

interrogative pronoun, mi-rt, which I do not include in this study. The form mirtcan be

interpreted as mi and -rt, and it corresponds to the interrogative markerwhy in English. Although Ifound many examples of the form mirtfrom the Hungarian texts (Alchemist and Piedra), I did not

include them in this study. The form mirtfunctions as a question (reason or purpose), but there are

two problems in discussing the functions of the causal-final case. First, the interrogative form mirt

is too grammaticalized as an interrogative marker, and as a result, it cannot be analyzed as the

combination ofmi and -rtin present-day Hungarian. Second, the interrogative pronoun indicates

why in English and can mean all meanings, cause, reason, and purpose, and hence, it is difficult to

identify the specific meaning.

Thus, special attention is given to the following forms pertaining to reason and purpose: thecausal-final case with normal nouns (noun-rt), with demonstrative pronouns (az-rt, ez-rt), with

possessive suffix (rt-em, rt-ed, rt-e, and so on), and the causal postposition (miatt). When I

counted the examples of the causal-final case and the postpositions, there are four kinds of forms,

and more meanings (or functions).

This study further identified the following functions: cause, reason, purpose, exchange,

subordinate conjunction. I will show these functions with sentences in examples (3)(12).

Korponay (2001) points out that the original meaning of the form -rtmeans place, but it does not

have such a locational meaning in the present-day causal-final usage. Thus, first, the form a hall--rtindicates causal meaning in (3).

Cause

(3) s gy beszl-nek Isten-rl, mint valami bosszll lny-rl,

and such speak-3PL god-LOC like something avenging being-LOC

aki az ember-t hibztat-ja Egyszltt Fi-nak

who the person-ACC make a mistake-3SG single born son-DAT

a hall--rt. (Piedra 160)

the death-POS-CAU

And they present God to us as a vengeful being who blames man for the death of His only

4


5/14

Son [4]

Next in (4), the sentence indicates cause or reason, and it is hard to distinguish between them. Thus

we use the label cause-reason for the sentence.

Cause-Reason

(4) Tuds-unk-rt ldztets-sel s mglyahall-lal

knowledge-POS-CAU making chase-INS and death by burning-INS

fiz-ett-nk, de tll-t-k. (Piedra 28)

pay-PAST-1PL but survive-PAST-1PL

We have paid for our wisdom with persecution and burnings at the stake, but we have

survived

In (5), the causal-final case form indicates a reason. The subject will fight for the reason of love. It

is no longer causal meaning.

Reason

(5) Mert soha nem felejt-ett-em el br nem tart-ott-am

because never not forget-PAST-1SG PRF though not keep-PAST-1SG

mag-am-at mlt-nak ar-ra, hogy harcol-jak rt-e. (Piedra 101)

self-POS-ACC worthy-DAT that-LOC that fight-3PL CAU-POS

I had never forgotten love, even when it had deemed me unworthy of fighting for it

The causal postposition miattalso indicates a reason. In (6), it took them a long hour to arrive at the

place because of rain and snow.

Reason (miattform)

(6) Az elz napi eszs s havazs miatt

the previous day raining and snowing POSTP

jval lassabban kelt-nk t a Pireneusok-on,

quite slowly cross-1PL PRF the Pyrenees-LOCmint ahogy tervez-t-k. (Piedra 189)

like as plan-PAST-1PL

Crossing the Pyrenees had taken longer than wed thought because of the rain and snow of

the previous day

Next, in (7) and (8), the sentences will show meaning in the range from reason to purpose. In (7),

the meaning lom-rtcan be interpreted as both reason and purpose, thus I label it reason-purpose

. Then, in (8), the meaning refers to a bigger purpose.

5


6/14

Reason-purpose

(7) Fl-ldoz-t-am az lmai-m-at egy fontosabb lom-rt. (Piedra 65)

PRF-sacrifice-PAST-1SG the dreams-POS-ACC one more important dream-CAU

Ive sacrificed my dreams in the name of a larger dream

Purpose

(8) A slyom el-repl-t zskmny-rt,

the falcon PRF-fly away-PAST-3SG prey-CAU

az alkimista pedig el-ve-tte vz-zel telt palack-j-t,

the alchemist while PRF-take away-PAST.3SG water-INS full bottle-POS-ACC

s a fi-nak nyjt-ott-a. (Alchemist 132)

and the boy-DAT pass-PAST-3SG

The falcon flew off to find game, and the alchemist offered his water container to the boy.

There is another meaning of the causal-final case: exchange, as in (9) and (10). As Keresztes (1995:

122) describes this meaning, it appears with actions of buying or selling, or with estimating value.

Exchange

(9) Az ellensg minden tz ember--rt egy arany-at kap-sz. (Alchemist 116)

the enemy every ten person-POS-CAU one gold-ACC get-2SG

For every ten dead men among our enemies, you will receive a piece of gold.

(10) Tbb-et kap-ok, mint amennyi-t a szvessg-em-rtmore-ACC get-1SG like as much as-ACC the generosity-POS-CAU

rdeml-ek. (Alchemist 159)

deserve-1SG

But this payment goes well beyond my generosity (I deserve it for my generosity).

Finally, I will show the demonstrative pronoun usage ezrt and azrt in (11) and (12). They are

combinations ofaz (that) orez (this) and the causal-final case. Both forms are lexicalized as one

form (ezrt, azrt, respectively), and I claim that they are already grammaticalized as a conjunctive(cf. Heine et al. 1991). In Hungarian, they are a type of conjunctions, and introduce a reason or

purpose clause. Moreover, they can connect the preceding and following sentences. As the English

translations in (11) and (12) show, they indicate because, thats why, ortherefore.

Subordinate conjunction

(11) Ez-rt r-t-am le minden-t. (Piedra 12)

this-CAU write-PAST-1SG PRF everything-ACC

That is why, I have written everything

(12) Az-rt, mert most ppen rszeg vagyok,

that-CAU because now just drunk I am

6


7/14

s eleg-em van a szrke htkznap-ok-bl. (Piedra 50)

and enough-POS is the gray weekday-PL-LOC

I am drunk, because I am tired of days that are all the same

There are two remarkable points in the usages. One is a semantic boundary from cause to purpose in

(4) and (7), and the other is the usage of subordinate conjunctions in (11) and (12).

First, concerning the semantic boundary between cause and reason, reason, and purpose in (4)

and (7), it is difficult to distinguish between the meanings of cause and reason, reason, and purpose.

On the other hand, there is clear a boundary between cause and purpose. Adverbial meanings such

as cause, reason, and purpose cannot be analyzed to specific prototypical core meaning(s), and thus,

there are semantic ambiguities between them. In this study, we cannot distinguish those meanings

clearly. As a solution for such semantic ambiguities, this study claims that a semantic mapvisualizes such ambiguous functions.

Second, the causal-final usage with demonstrative pronouns ez and az and the demonstrative

forms (ez-rtand az-rt) can each be regarded as one grammaticalized form. They connect

sentences like a conjunction of reason and purpose in (11) and are used to make a subordinate

clause in (12). Thus, this study calls them a subordinate conjunction. In Hungarian, there are other

adverbial cases such as essive-formal -kntand comitative-instrumental -val/-vel. However, there is

no frequent usage of essive-formal (ek-knt) or comitative-instrumental (ez-zel) with demonstrative

pronouns ez and az. The subordinate conjunctions ezrtand azrtare independentlygrammaticalized only in the causal-final case.

Through the text-based investigation of two books (Alchemist and Piedra), 233 examples were

found: 116 from Alchemist and 117 from Piedra. In the causal-final forms, there are 204 causal-

final cases and 29 causal postpositions. The causal forms are formally classified into four types: a

noun-rtform, a form with demonstrative pronouns (ezrt, azrt), and a form with possessive suffix

(rt-em, rt-ed) and postposition (miatt) as shown in Table 1. In Table 1, there are only 67 examples

(29%) with standard noun + the case on one hand, and half the usages are subordinate

conjunctions on the other. This means that subordinate conjunctions are frequent. Moreover, thereare 29 examples (12%) of the causal postpositions, miatt. This postposition form is used to express

reason, and is functionally common with the causal-final case. This study needs to discuss the

reason why the causal postposition is still used vis--vis the causal-final case, although not

frequently.

Table 1: Numbers of the causal-final case and the causal postposition in Hungarian:The alchemist (116) Piedra river (117) Total: 233 (100%)

Noun-rt(37) Noun-rt(30) 67 (29%)

7


8/14

Ez-rt(27) Ez-rt(15) 42 (18%)Az-rt(36) Az-rt(40) 76 (33%)

118 (51%)

rt-possessive suffix (6) rt-possessive suffix (13) 19 (8%)Postposition: miatt(10) Postposition: miatt(19) 29 (12%)

The books (Alchemist and Piedra) have been translated in Finnish, English, and other languages

too. This study examines how the causal forms in Hungarian are translated in Finnish. This

contrastive study investigates formal differences between the two languages. First, there are 15

basic cases in Finnish (Karlsson 1999: 19), but there is no causal or final case. Thus, this study

examines what kinds of forms are used to express reason, purpose, and other meanings when

Hungarian uses the causal-final case or the causal postposition.

The following (13) illustrates how Finnish expresses the sentences of the causal-final examplesin Hungarian (4)(12).

(13) Finnish translations of the Hungarian causal usages:

Hungarian Finnish Form in Finnish

a. Tudsunk-rt (4): viisaude-sta-mme: locative (elative)

b. harcoljak rt-e (5): taistellakseni hne-st: locative (elative)

c. eszs s havazs miatt (6): sateen ja lumen takia: causal postposition

d. egy fontosabb lom-rt (7): unelman thden (= takia): causal postposition

e. zskmny-rt (8): etsi-mn riistaa: verbal infinitivef. tz ember-rt (9): kymmene-st kaatunee-sta vihollise-sta: locative (elative)

g. a szvessgem-rt (10): ylitt vieraanvaraisuuteni:[5] other lexical means

h. Ez-rt rtam (11): Si-ksi kirjoitin: translative

i. Az-rt, mert (12): Si-ksi, ett: translative

Contrasting all 233 examples (Alchemist and Piedra) in Hungarian with the translations in Finnish,

six types formally appeared in Finnish: locative cases, translative case, causal postpositions, verbal

infinitive with cases, other lexical means, and not translated. There is no causal or final case inFinnish, instead other locative or adverbial cases are used to express the reason and purpose

meanings (13a, b, f, h, i). On the other hand, several (at least four) causal postpositions (vuoksi,

takia, puolesta, thden) are observed in Finnish, and such causal postpositions are frequently

observed (13c, d). Moreover, Finnish has special verbal infinitives with cases (13e) and such verbal

means can express reason and purpose. In addition, owing to translation, there are other possibilities

by expressing lexically (13g) or by not translating. In (13h, i), the subordinate conjunctions ezrt,

azrtare expressed by usingsiksi in Finnish (there are other possibilities such assen vuoksi, sen

takia). The formsiksi consists ofse (it) and translative (-ksi) and these forms (siksi, sen vuoksi) are

also grammaticalized as subordinate conjunctions.

8


9/14

To summarize the contrastive results and (13), I demonstrate the differences between Hungarian

and Finnish. The causal case in Hungarian expresses cause, reason, purpose, and exchange in

buying and selling situations. The causal postposition in Hungarian indicates only reason.

Moreover, the causal-final case is grammaticalized with demonstrative pronouns and the forms

(ezrt, azrt) function as subordinate conjunctions. On the other hand, in Finnish , which lacks the

causal or final case, locative and adverbial cases (elative, translative) are used to express reason and

purpose, and in addition, verbal infinitives play a role in those meanings. Moreover, there are

several causal postpositions and Finnish prefers to use such postpositional forms and not a specific

case. Finally, Finnish also has the grammaticalized subordinate conjunction siksi and sen vuoksi,

with the translative case -ksi.

4. Discussion: semantic map and coexistence of case and postposition

This study has observed the usage of causal expressions in Hungarian, and contrasted these with the

equivalents in Finnish. Here their forms and meanings will be discussed in terms of a semantic map

and formal relations (case and postposition).

When we consider an overview of cases in the languages of the world, there are some languages

that have a causal case, e.g., Awa Pit, Epena Pedee, Pitjantjatjara, Toda, Yidiny, and so on, although

it is rather rare. The causal case in such languages has the ablative case as the origin of the causal

function. We observed that the locative case -sta (elative) is used in Finnish to express cause and

reason, and this elative has an ablative element from. In Hungarian, the causal-final case -rtdoesnot have a relation with the ablative case -tl/ -tl. [6]

This study tries to visualize the functions of the causal-final case. For this, it will use a semantic

map (cf. Haspelmath 2003) and create the semantic map of the causal and the related functions. By

creating the semantic map, the functional behaviors of the adverbial cases (in this study, the causal-

final case) will be clarified. There are two forms (the causal-final case -rt and the causal

postposition miatt) for reason in Hungarian, with causal postposition as well as the causal-final

case, and in Finnish there are several causal postpositions, although other locative and adverbial

cases can express reason. This study considers the reasons why several forms (case andpostposition) are used to express one meaning.

4.1 Semantic map of the causal-final case

This study has identified cause, reason, purpose, exchange, and subordinate conjunction as the

functions of the causal-final case and causal postposition. By creating the semantic map, we can

construe the functional behaviors of the causal-final case and this semantic map clarifies the

functional relations of each function.

I have some observations from descriptive grammar and the text-based study. First, the causal-

final case originates from place meaning, but this place function is obsolete and not used any more

9


10/14

(thus, place function is bracketed). Then, causal meaning derives from place (possibly ablative

function), and then there are some related functions among cause, reason and purpose, which cannot

be clearly distinct. Through some grammaticalization process, a subordinate conjunction has

emerged and the forms have functions of explaining or connecting reason and purpose. Moreover,

there is another independent function: exchange for buying and selling. The exchange seems to

have a link to cause.

This study has created the semantic map (a) of causal-final case in Figure 2, and used a software

for making a phylogenetic tree (Treeview, Page 1996). By using this software, we can demonstrate

the functional relations in a tree-like figure.

Figure 2: Semantic map (a) of causal-final functions, based on a phylogenetic software

In Figure, the subordinate conjunction is later grammaticalized from reason and purpose, but both

meanings, and is located at an upper position of reason and purpose. The causal function is old and

is located on the upper side of the tree and cause neighbors on [place] and exchange.

4.2 Coexistence of the case and the postposition

Although there is the causal-final case in Hungarian, there are other forms of expressing cause,

reason, purpose, and exchange by using other cases or postpositions (see section 2, okhatroz).One of the other forms is the causal postposition miattand it mainly expresses reason. Two forms

coexist and this coexistence seems to be peculiar. Here, we discuss why there are two forms (case

and postposition) expressing reason.

Bnhidi et al. (1965) point out that the causal postposition is used when something is not quite

right with it, and the causal-final case is used when it implies certain purpose, as in (14ab).

(14) Bnhidi et al(1965:300)

a. A pnz miatt j-tt-em.

the money POSTP come-PAST-1SG

I came because of the money (something is not quite right with it).

10


11/14

b. A pnz-rt j-tt-em.

the money-CAU come-PAST-1SG

I came for the money (to get the money).

This study distinguishes (14a) as a negative reason and (14b) as a positive reason. Almost the same

distinction is observed in Japanese too. In (15), there are two postposition-like forms (seide,and

tameni) in Japanese. The formerseide in (15a) indicates a negative reason and implies some

financial problem. The latter form tameni in (15b) indicate a more neutral or positive reason and

implies getting money or gathering money.

(15) Japanese

a. Okane no seide kita

money POS because of come-PAST.1SGI came because of the money (financial problem)

b. Okane no tameni kita.

money POS for the sake of come-PAST.1SG

I came for the sake of getting the money

This formal and functional distinction between a positive and negative reason can be observed in

the grammar of other languages and thus there exists one reason for the coexistence of two forms in

Hungarian. Finally, I added this positive/negative element of the reason function, and created arevised semantic map (b) in Figure 3. The semantic map (b) in Figure 3 illustrates semantic

relations and formal distribution of the causal expressions in Hungarian.

Figure 3: Revised semantic map (b) of causal-final functions with the causal postposition

The causal postposition is located in the place of negative reason and positive reason is a neighbor

of the purpose meaning.

5. Conclusion

This paper has focused on one adverbial case, the causal-final case for reason and purpose, and its

11


12/14

semantic map has been created.

First, in Figure 3, the semantic map of the causal-final case is simple and it is remarkable that

the subordinate conjunction is frequently observed in the texts. This semantic map and the text-

based study indicate that the causal-final case plays a role in expressing reason and purpose, but the

case forms are grammaticalized as subordinate conjunctions. This study compared Hungarian with

Finnish texts and found no corresponding causal-final case in Finnish, but several different cases

and causal postpositions to express the equivalent meanings.

Second, it has turned out that there is another possibility; the causal postposition miattis also

used to express reason. The postposition implies negative reason and it coexists with the causal-

final case implying positive reason. The semantic map (b) (Figure 3) has succeeded in illustrating

the semantic relations between them.

Finally, it has been established that the semantic map is helpful for visualizing the adverbialfunctions of the forms, and has shown, in particular, that we can describe the functions of the

adverbial cases in Hungarian. Furthermore, in future studies, we should expand the semantic map

for other adverbial and similar functions.

Notes

This work is supported by a grant-in-aid from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

(JSPS). My thanks to the participants of The 5th Budapest Uralic Workshop (January 2006,

Budapest, Hungary). I take full responsibility for any inadvertent errors that may exist. Thefollowing abbreviations are used: ACC accusative, CAU causal-final, DAT dative, INS

comitative-instrumental, LOC locatives, PAST past tense, POS possessive suffix, POSTP

causal postposition, PRF verbal prefix, SG singular, PL plural, 1,2,3 1st, 2nd, 3rd person,

respectively.

1. The causal-final case in Hungarian is also known as causal or causative case.

2. Korponay (2001: 65) writes that the causal-final case goes back to the locative forms of the

Proto-Finno-Ugrian word *rwhich had the meaning place. He does not describe which kind

of place (locative) meaning, from, to, or at.3. Keszler & Lengyel 2002: 204-215) illustrate the following cases and postpositions in the

okhatroz (reason adverbial), other than the causal-final case; Locative cases, such as -ba/-

be, -ban/-ben, -bl/-bl, -n/-on/-en/-on, -ra/-re, -tl/-tl, and dative case -nak/-nek, instrumental

-val/-vel, and some postpositions, miatt, fogva, utn, nyomn, fell.

4. Sentence examples in English are based on the English translations ofThe AlchemistandBy the

river Piedra I sat drawn and wept.

5. In Hungarian, a literal translation in (10) is that I get more than I deserve for my generosity. In

Finnish, it is translated as follows this exceed my big generosity.

6. Needless to say, the Hungarian ablative case -tl/ -tlcan express cause and reason meanings.

12


13/14

References

Bnhidi, Zoltn, Zoltn Jkay, and Szab Dnes. 1965.Learn Hungarian (Third Edition). Budapest:

Tanknyvkiad.

Blake, Barry J. 1994. Case. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Csepregi, Mrta. 1991. Unkarin kielioppi. Helsinki: Finn Lectura.

Heine, Bernd, Ulrike, Claudi, and Friederike, Hnnemeyer. 1991. Grammaticalization: a

conceptual framework. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Haspelmath, Martin. 2003. The geometry of grammatical meaning: semantic maps and cross-

linguistic comparison. In: Michael Tomasello (ed.). The new psychology of language: cognitive

and functional approaches to language structure, vol: 2: New Jersey/ London: Lawrence

Erlbaum : 211-242.

Iggesen, Oliver. A. 2005. Case-Asymmetry: a world-wide typological study on lexeme-class-

dependent derivations in morphological case inventories. Mnchen: Lincom Europa.

Karlsson, Fred. 1999.Finnish: an essential grammar. London/ New York: Routledge.

Keresztes, Lszl. 1995.A practical Hungarian grammar. Debrecen: Debreceni Nyri Egyetem.

Keszler, Borbla, and Klra, Lengyel. 2002. Kis magyar grammatika. Budapest: Nemzeti

Tanknyvkiad.

Korponay, Bla. 2001.A Hungarian-English case grammar. Budapest: ELTE Etvs Kiad.

Page, R. D. M. 1996. TREEVIEW: An application to display phylogenetic trees on personal

computers. Computer Applications in the Biosciences 12: 357358.

Stolz, Thomas. 2001. On Circum-Baltic instrumentals and comitatives. In: Dahl sten and Maria

Koptjevskaja-Tamm (eds.). Circum-Baltic languages: grammar and typology vol. 2:

Amsterdam/ Philadelphia: John Benjamins: 591612.

13


14/14

Masahiko Nose

Department of Cross-Cultural Education

Graduate School of International Cultural Studies, Tohoku University

Kawauchi 41, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8576, Japan

[email protected]

14

070705 nose causal final

Documents