Idiomaticity, formulaicity and semi-fixed constructions in Turkish

Abstract

This study investigates idiomaticity, formulaicity and constructions in Turkish, limiting the analysis to semi-fixed multiword constructions. These concepts have been independently studied for this language, however, never within a constructionist approach or in systematic relation to each other. In this regard, this is arguably the first study that shows that beyond canonical idioms such as ayranı kabarmak ‘burst with anger’, one finds how varying degrees of idiomaticity and formulaicity relate with each other and how widespread they are in the language. In doing this, the analysis is founded upon three theoretical pillars: Wray’s theory of formulaicity (2002, 2008); Wulff’s (2008) definition of idiomaticity, and Goldberg’s Cognitive Construction Grammar (CCG) (2005). A thorough analysis of form and function, particularly modal function, is provided for semi-fixed constructions such as [Vi-(y)A Vi(y)A X mI Vi] (e.g. gele gele sen mi geldin?! ‘Of all the people YOU came (complaining tone)?!’. The main findings are: i) in the spirit of their holistic and non transparent nature, SFCs tend to denote modality implicitly; ii) boulomaic modality is the most commonly expressed; iii) the prevalent discourse functions of SFCs are dismissing, criticizing, and/or complaining. It is hoped that this exploratory and preliminary study contributes to the studies of modality, the scalar nature of idiomaticity and formulaicity, and the status of the concept of construction in CCG sense for Turkish and cross-linguistically. It is believed that Turkish lexicography and pedadogy can benefit from giving a more central role to semi-fixed constructions.