Nederlandse Taalkunde - Volume 27, Issue 2, 2022

Abstract This paper introduces three articles which each highlight a specific aspect of Dirk Geeraerts’ research in the field of Dutch linguistics. At the same time, some general observations are made regarding Geeraerts’ theoretical, methodological, and organizational contribution to linguistics.

Abstract This paper focuses on the merits of Dirk Geeraerts in the field of lexicology, lexicography and lexical semantics. The article highlights some of the major achievements and insights in the field developed by Geeraerts. From the very first beginning of his research and the publication of his PhD, his work at the Institute for Dutch Lexicology up to the development of his academic career at KU Leuven, Geeraerts’ research foc Read More

Abstract This paper focuses on the merits of Dirk Geeraerts in the field of (diachronic) lexical semantics. The article highlights Geeraerts’ work on prototypes and metaphor. Some of Geeraerts’ most illuminating case-studies are reviewed and a number of characteristic features of this part of Geeraerts’ work are identified and presented.

Abstract The research of Dirk Geeraerts and his team has extensively documented, analyzed and discussed the diachronic and synchronic (stylistic) stratification of Belgian and Netherlandic Dutch, and the relationship between the two. While its relevance for the sociolinguistics of the Low Countries cannot be overestimated, due to its substantive and methodological coherence and rigor, it also transcends Dutch variational l Read More

Abstract Adverbs of degree are prone to undergo change, and new adverbs frequently emerge through grammaticalisation. These adverbs tend to adhere to various syntactic and semantic restrictions that govern their usage depending on their degree of grammaticalisation (Klein 1998). During the grammaticalisation process, they first tend to expand in function and then become more specialised (Bolinger 1972, Klein 1998). Thi Read More

Abstract Many languages use verbs of perception to express evidentiality. This paper studies the evidential use of the object-oriented perception verb eruitzien ‘look’ in Dutch. The results of a Twitter corpus study show that, whereas ziet eruit alsof ‘looks as if’ occasionally comes with an evidential interpretation, the construction ziet ernaar uit ‘looks like’ predominantly expresses inferential evidentiality. A diachronic investi Read More

Abstract In present-day Frisian there is an ongoing change in the inflection of verbs. Frisian has two classes of regular verbs (class I and class II), and for some speakers of Frisian some verbs or verb forms appear to shift from class II to class I. In her 2021 dissertation Changes in Modern Frisian inflection Anne Merkuur presents an empirical investigation of these and some related changes, and discusses how they can be e Read More