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THE SUBSTANTIVE SYNTAGMA

IN AN ATTRIBUTIVE FUNCTION

AND IN LEXICOGRAPHY PRACTICE

liljana ivanova tomovaPlovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski”

Binary syntagmas are established by a subordinating connection and consists of two components – determining and determined. The first word is defined like a main and the second one – like a dependent word. In English as an analytic language the parataxis plays a big role in the expression of syntactic relationships. Except by the terms collocation and syntagma, the studied constructions in English linguistic literature are defining by the terms: Juxtaposed compound – a compound made up of two elements which are placed next to each other, but written as separate words, e.g. university student (Hartmann 1972). The connection between the components of the attribute construction in English is realised by a syntactic means – thanks to word order, the first noun is used like a definition and the second one – like a head: night light : light night. The function of such a noun in a sentence is defined by its place ahead of the noun as a modifier: export oil & oil export. The noun, which has an attributive function here is in pre-position. The subject of the present research is the collocation Noun + Noun in English, because this is one of the most common ways to show the attributive relationships in language. They consist of two components, both in common case. In English language, this is a dictionary form of a word. These are attributive syntagma, consisting of two nouns with a relative subordination connection between them. Except for attributive relationships, the non-predicative syntagma express objective and relative adverbial relationships. In a theoretical plan we want to show clear by that we use the terms collocation and syntagma as synonyms. The collocation is defined as an unification of at least two autosemantic words and in general linguistics it is considered to be an independent syntactic unit along with the sentence (Akhmanova 1969). Hartmann defines syntagma as “a general term for any string of units which together form a cоmplex larger unit, e.g. any string of words which have syntagmatic relations such as over hill, the green trees, no smoking, birds fly, etc.” (Hartmann 1972). All examples we analyse are excerpted from the following lexicographic sources: - АНГЛИЙСКО-БЪЛГАРСКИ РЕЧНИК, т. І–ІІ, София: БАН, 1985 (1)63;- НОВ УНИВЕРСАЛЕН РЕЧНИК. АНГЛИЙСКО-БЪЛГАРСКИ, PONS, 2004 (2).

63 Arabic numerals after dictionary titles mark the source of examples given below.

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Each succession of words, which produce a syntagma, can be a word combination and a collocation too. 1) Substantive synatagma – spelling and definition. A) Spelling. There is no universal agreement about the spelling of collocations, consisting of two nouns in lexicographic practice (N+N): some dictionaries show these two nouns separately, and others by hyphen. Because of this some authors group them as compound words. Here is an example of writing the word as a compound one: Swan-song (1); Swansong (2). It it possible that these spelling differences are due to personal author’s choice or depend on tradition. If we check up examples in other dictionaries, we will see various ways of spelling existing in lexicographic practice. Regardless of how such collocations are presented in dictionaries, we regard them as collocations of two nouns, the first of which being used in an attributive function. The following examples show that no matter whether the words were written by a hyphen or separately, their Bulgarian translation stays the same:Apple-pie (1), Apple pie (2);Apple-tree (1), Apple tree (2);Battle-cry (1), Battle cry (2);Camp-bed (1), Camp bed (2);Camp-stool (1), Camp stool (2);Cane-sugar (1), Cane sugar (2);Chamber-music (1), Chamber music (2);Chamber-pot (1), Chamber pot (2);Coral-island (1), Coral island (2);Coral-reef (1), Coral reef (2);Cotton-mill (1), Cotton mill (2);Field (-) mouse (1), Field mouse (1);Fire-brigade (1), Fire brigade (2);Flower-garden (1), Flower garden (2);Horse chestnut (1), Horse-chestnut (2);Labour pains (2), Labour-pains (1);Medicine chest (1 – I, 225), Medicine-chest (1 – II, 118);Rose-leaf (1 – II, 431), Rose leaf (1 – II, 54);Sugar-beet (1), Sugar beet (2);Sugar-cane (1), Sugar cane (2). There are only few examples of differences in the collocations’ translation – they are either written as one word or hyphenated, and ¾ of these examples come from the same dictionary:Blood-horse (1), Blood horse (1)’;City-man (1 – I, 236), City man (1 – II, 100);Wedding breakfast (1 – І, 154), Wedding-breakfast (1 – ІІ, 766);Wedding-ring (1), Wedding ring (2).

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B) Interpretation: Among the excerpted examples a few differ in their meaning definition in Bulgarian, however most of the definitions are synonymous:Bedside lamp ;Brass band (1 – I, р. 91), (1 – I, р. 152);Party member (man) (1 – ІІ, 248; cf. верен привърженик на дадена партия; верен партиец – ІІ, 249);Dairy cattle (1), Dairy cattle (2 – p. 170), Diary cattle (2 – p. 100);Life sentence (2 – p. 656), (2 – p. 418);Rubber plant (1), Rubber plant (2);Safety curtain (1 – ІІ, 447), Safety curtain (1 – І, 340);Sea breeze (1), (2);Telephone booth (1), (2);Telephone box (1), (2);Toy dog (1 – І, 419), Toy dog (1 – II, 675);Trade fair (2, 250), (2, 774). In the following examples we see essential differences in interpretation:Cotton wool (1), Cotton wool (2);Sheet anchor ; (1 – ІІ, 497), (І, 43).

2) Substantive syntagmas and their place in dictionaries. In lexicographic practice there is no common agreement about the usage of nouns in the function of attribute. In PONS dictionary before the noun, which is used as the head of the substantive collocation, we find the mark adj. (adjective), and in the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (БАН)’ English-Bulgarian Dictionary authors prefer to use the mark attr. (attributive) or a. (adjective). For example: BAS Dictionary (1):Chief I. n. ; 2. ; II. а. ;Cosmetic I. а. ; II. n. ;Family I. n. ; 2. Биол. < Семейство>; 3. Attr. ;Freight I. n. 1. ; 2. ; 7. Attr. ам., ж.п. ;Front I. n. 1. ; 2.; 3.; ІІ. a. ;Home I. n. 1. ; 2. ; II. а. 1. ; 2. Migrant I. а. ; II. n.1. ; 2. ;

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Olive I. n.; II. а. ; 2. ; 3. ;Plum I. n. ; 8. Attr. ;Return 1. ; II. n. 1. ; 15. Attr. ;Rose I. n. ; II. Attr. ;Secret I. a. ; I. n. ;State I. n. ; II. а.;Steam I. n. ; 3. Attr. ;Vegetable I. a. ; 2. ; II. n. ;Violet I. n. 1. ; 2. ; II. Attr. ;Wicker I. n. ; II. Attr. ; PONS Dictionary (2):Chief I. n. ; II. Adj. 1. ;Cosmetic I. n. ; II. Adj. ;Family I. n. ; II. Adj. ;Freight I. n. ; II. Adj. ;Front I. n. 1. ; 2. ;3. ; II. Adj. преден, лицев>;Home I. n. 1. ; 2. ; II. Adj. 1. ; 2. ;Migrant I. n. ; II. Adj. ;Olive I. n. ; II. Adj. ;Plum I. n. ; II. Adj. ;Return І. n. ; II. Adj.;Rose I. n. ;II. Adj. ;Secret I. n. ; II. Adj. ;State I. n. ; II. Adj. ;Steam I. n.; II. Adj. ;Vegetable I. n. ; II. Adj. ;Violet I. n. 1. ; 2. ; II. Adj. ;Wicker I. n. ; II. Adj. .

These examples show clearly that in PONS Dictionary the adjective meaning comes in second position, behind the noun meaning. In BAS Dictionary there is a different pattern: only in eight cases the noun is shown in its attributive function (family, freight, plum, return, rose, steam, violet, wicker); in five dictionary articles the second meaning of the noun is that of the adjective (chief, front, home, olive, state); we find four more examples, in which the adjective meaning appears in first place, ahead of the noun meaning (cosmetic, migrant, secret, vegetable). The list of excerpted examples from these two dictionaries concerning the attributive use of substantive collocations cannot be considered exhaustive, because the theoretical count of nouns with the same function is unlimited. The list can be enlarged with examples from other

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dictionaries, but it can never be complete. Here we submit entries from two lexicographic sources only, as the words in them testify that attributive syntagma are not only a fact of speech, but of language too. The following list of nouns comes from BAS Dictionary and shows that one of the meaning is used as adjectives in an attributive function (similar examples can be found in PONS Dictionary as well). It is noted that they are used as adjectives too, but there are no substantive collocations:Army 1. ; 3. Attr. ;Background 1. ; 5. Attr. ;Brass 1. ; 7. Attr. ;Clockwork 1. ; 7. Attr. ;Clothes 1. ; 2. Attr. ;Coal 1. ; 6. Attr. ;Construction 2. ; attr. ;Control 2. ; 5. attr. ;Copper 1. ; 4. Attr. ;Copybook 1. ; 2. attr. ;Coral 1. ; 3. Attr. ;Corner 1. ; 5. Attr. ;Cotton 1. ; 4. Attr. ;Counterpart 2. ; 3. Attr. ;County 1. ; 4. Attr. ;Cream 1. ; 6. Attr. ;Creole 1. ; 4. Attr. ;Crime 1. ; 3. Attr. ;Cutthroat 1. ; 3. Attr. ;Dairy 1. ; 4. Attr. ;Distaff 2. ; 3. Attr. ;Distance 1. ; 7. Attr. ;Dollar 1. ; Аttr. ;Election 1. ; 2. ; 4. Attr. ;End 1. ; 7. Attr. ;Еrmine 2. ; 4. Attr. ;Eskimo 1. ; 2. Attr. ;Excursion 1. ; 6. Attr. ;Export 1. ; 3. Attr. ;Factory 1. ; 3. ;Fatigue 1. ; 7. Attr. ;Fawn 1. ; 2. ; 3. :Flank 3. ; 4. Attr. ;Flannel 1. ; 5. Attr. ;Flannelette 1. ; 2. Attr. ;

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Fluid 1. ; 3. Attr. ;Folk 1. ; 4. Attr. ;Food 1. ; 3. Attr. ;Fool 1. ; 5. Attr. ;Forage 1. ; 4. Attr. ;Forehand 2. < прав, десе удар>; 3. Attr. ;Forest 1. ; 4. Attr.

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Production ; 5. Attr. ;Propaganda ; 2. Attr. ;Prose ; *Attr. ;Protest ; 4. Attr. ;Prune ; 3. Attr. ;Pygmy ; II. Attr. ;Rebel ; 3. Attr. ;Reed ; 7. Attr. ;Rescue ; 4. Attr. ;Resistance ; 2. Attr. ;Restoration ; 4. Attr. ;Root ; 6. Attr. ;Rose ; II. Attr. ;Scripture ; 5. Attr. ;September ; 2. Attr. ;Side ; 8. Attr. ;Sissy ; 4. Attr. ;Sister ; 4. Attr. ;Society ; 4. Attr. ;Sound ; 3. Attr. ;Spring ; Attr. ;Starch ; Attr. ;Station ; 12. Attr. ;Steel ; 7. Attr. ;Stern ; 4.Attr. ;Straw ; 3. Attr. ;Tank ; 3. Attr. ;Television ; Attr. ;Ticket ; 7. Attr. ;Tidewater ; 3. Attr. ;Tomato ; Attr. ;Transit ; Attr. ;Trial ; 5. Attr. ;Trichord ; 2. Attr. ;Veal ; 2. Attr. ;Victor ; 2. Attr. ;Village ; 2. Attr. ;Vinegar ; 3. Attr. ;Volume ; 8. Attr. ;Walnut ; 3. Attr. ;Wax ; 3. Attr. ;West ; * Attr. ;Wicker ; 2. Attr. ;

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Woodland ; Attr. ;Wool ; 5. Attr. ;Zinc ; 2. Attr. ;Zone ; Attr. .

In terms of semantics, the studied substantive collocations (NOUN + NOUN) can be compared to attributive collocations (ADJECTIVE + NOUN), in which the relative derived adjective plays the role of an attribute, as it is in Bulgarian. An attributive syntagma (NOUN + NOUN), consisting of two nouns placed one after the other, expresses one notion, nevertheless such syntagmas were rendered in Bulgarian with a collocation of an adjective and noun (ADJECTIVE + NOUN), or even with one word. The results of this research can be applied in the practical mastering of English.

reFereNCes

(1) Aнглийско-български речник, т. І–ІІ, София: БАН, 1985.(2) Нов универсален речник. Английско-български, PONS, 2004.Akhmanova 1969: Ахманова, О. С. Словарь лингвистических терминов, Москва, 1969.Hartmann 1972: Hartmann, R. R. and Stork, F. C. Dictionary of language and linguistics, Applied Science

Publishers Ltd., London, 1972.