Copular clauses in English
and in Czech
Markéta Malá
Charles University in Prague
Copular clauses – a comparative corpus-based approach
• Copular clauses:
– clauses with a verbo-nominal predicate comprising a copular verb and a
subject complement
– used to ascribe a quality, property or value to the subject
• Verbs:
– both Czech and English: copular verbs be - být and become - stát se
– English: a broader repertoire of copular verbs, various types of
attribution (e.g., verbs of ‘seeming’, attribution based on perception,
verbs of ‘remaining’ etc.)
What means are employed in Czech to express such ‘modified
attribution’?
What can the constructions used in Czech suggest of the meaning
of the respective copular verbs in English?
In what ways can multilingual translation corpora be employed in
contrastive research?
Material and methodology
• a parallel translation corpus of aligned Czech and English fiction
texts
• a part of the InterCorp project – a multilingual corpus of 21
languages (49.3 mil. tokens) with Czech (44 mil. tokens) in the
centre as a pivot language
• http://ucnk.ff.cuni.cz/intercorp/
• http://www.korpus.cz/intercorp/
• Czech – English 4 mil. – 4.7 mil. tokens (34 texts + Project
Syndicate), part-of-speech tagged
• Michael Barlow – ParaConc (alignment checked manually)
• Web-based interface
• Pilot parallel sub-corpus used for the present study (cca 800 000
tokens)
Pilot parallel sub-corpus used for the present study
cca 800 000 tokens
bidirectional, balanced (cf. Johansson 2007, Dušková 2004, 2005)
English
originals
Czech
translations
3 novels
228011 tokens
195509 tokens
English
translations
Czech
originals
212200 tokens
3 novels
163566 tokens
The scope of the study
• The copular verb proper be / být , which “does not add any
semantic content to the predicate phrase it is contained in” (Pustet
2005 [2003], 5) – excluded
• Semi-copulas (or quasi-copulas, or complex-intransitives) “add
meaning to the predicate phrases in which they are contained. This
semantic function, while not directly affecting the inner core of the
predicate phrase, that is, its lexical nucleus, by altering the intrinsic
semantic content of the latter, consist in ‘importing’ ... meaning
components into the predicate phrase.” (Pustet 2005 [2003], 5 - 6)
• 2 groups of semi-copulas:
– verbs with depictive predicative complements (current copulas)
feel, continue, appear, look, keep, seem, smell, remain, sound,
stay, prove, taste,
– verbs with resultative predicative complements (resulting
copulas) become, grow, come, turn, fall, get, go.
Copular verbs in English originals
and in English translations
Word-count
(tokens)
Copular
verbs (abs)
Copular
verbs per
1000 tokens
English
originals
228 011
1 054
4.6
English
translations
212 200
760
3.6
(78% of
E.orig.)
The correspondences between become and stát se
English sources > Czech translations
1. final state (Adv)
2. prefix
3. lexical verb - other
4. copular "stát se"
5. catenative constr. "začít + inf."
zero
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1. The mountains around the school became icy gray .... - Hory kolem školy byly teď
ledově šedé ....
[The mountains around the school were now icy gray ....]
2. You that demon for pleasure who became so wise. Ty, která sis tak potrpěla na zábavu
a která jsi tolik zmoudřela. [prefix z- = change]
3. We do, after all, wish him to become someone we can be proud of, don't we? Chceme
přece, aby vyrostl v člověka, na nějž budeme moci být hrdí, ne? [ grow up to be …]
4. A small bolt from a cockpit became jewellery. Matice z pilotní kabiny se stala šperkem.
5. In jail he became serene and devious. Ve vězení začal být vážný a nevyzpytatelný.
[started to be …]
Translation counterparts of English copular clauses
A.
B.
Zero (overall semantic correspondence maintained but no
identifiable explicit counterpart of copular predicate identifiable)
Overt:
Verbal
lexical verb (semantic class)
copular verb (být, stát se)
catenative construction (začít [start] / přestat [cease] + inf.)
Verbal prefix
Verbo-nominal (mít pocit)
Adverbial (epistemic, time)
Clausal (comment clause)
Translation counterparts of English copular clauses – exx I
A.
Zero
‘Bullstrode, Millicent’ then became a Slytherin.
‘Bullstrodeovou, Millicent’ (object) zařadil klobouk (subject) do Zmijozelu
→ B.M. was placed in Slytherin by the hat.
B.
Overt: Verbal
lexical verb (semantic class)
it seemed a place rather than a time
vnímá to spíš jako místo než čas → she perceives it …
copular verb (být, stát se)
it seems unfair to ask a young woman to make judgements so crucial to her
future happiness …
je nespravedlivé chtít po mladé ženě, aby se rozhodovala o svém budoucím
štěstí … → it is
catenative construction (začít / přestat + inf.)
As they entered November, the weather turned very cold.
Jak nastal listopad, začalo být velice chladno. → started to be
Translation counterparts of English copular clauses – exx II
Verbal prefix
Neville went bright red …
Neville zrudl jako krocan …
Verbo-nominal
He felt very strange.
Měl velice podivný pocit. → had a very strange feeling
Adverbial (epistemic)
Ichiro seemed to consider this for a moment.
Ičiró o tom zjevně chvíli uvažoval. → apparently
Clausal
Noriko, however, seems very proud of her apartment …
Noriko je však, jak se mi zdá, na svůj byt velice hrdá … →
it seems to me
“One of the most fascinating aspects of multi-lingual
corpora is that they can make meanings visible through
translation patterns.” (Johansson 2007)
total
zero
verbal
lexical verb
re-sult.
percept.
catenat.
copular verb
oth.
stát se
být
prefix
res.
vbnom.
clausal
adverbial
tmp /
man
epist
156
4
30
3
10
23
23
18
36
1
0
8
0
turn
16
0
2
0
0
1
2
2
9
0
0
0
0
go
35
0
8
0
0
0
2
0
25
0
0
0
0
fall
30
0
4
0
0
1
0
0
23
0
0
2
0
grow
31
0
10
0
3
0
3
3
12
0
0
0
0
get
48
2
12
3
1
0
9
6
12
2
0
1
0
come
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
prove
8
0
4
1
1
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
38
7
0
17
5
0
0
0
0
0
8
0
1
look
169
4
6
141
1
0
7
0
2
0
7
1
0
seem
317
43
0
135
5
0
5
0
1
7
108
3
10
sound
26
1
0
14
5
0
2
0
0
0
1
3
0
feel
79
0
0
37
8
0
15
0
1
16
2
0
0
taste
2
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
remain
39
6
4
1
22
1
1
0
0
1
0
3
0
continue
49
17
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
30
0
stay
7
0
1
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
keep
2
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
total
1054
84
82
354
67
26
70
29
123
29
126
53
11
become
appear
total
zero
verbal
lexical verb
re-sult.
percept.
catenat.
copular verb
oth.
stát se
být
prefix
res.
vbnom.
clausal
adverbial
tmp /
man
epist
156
4
30
3
10
23
23
18
36
1
0
8
0
turn
16
0
2
0
0
1
2
2
9
0
0
0
0
go
35
0
8
0
0
0
2
0
25
0
0
0
0
fall
30
0
4
0
0
1
0
0
23
0
0
2
0
grow
31
0
10
0
3
0
3
3
12
0
0
0
0
get
48
2
12
3
1
0
9
6
12
2
0
1
0
come
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
prove
8
0
4
1
1
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
38
7
0
17
5
0
0
0
0
0
8
0
1
look
169
4
6
141
1
0
7
0
2
0
7
1
0
seem
317
43
0
135
5
0
5
0
1
7
108
3
10
sound
26
1
0
14
5
0
2
0
0
0
1
3
0
feel
79
0
0
37
8
0
15
0
1
16
2
0
0
taste
2
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
remain
39
6
4
1
22
1
1
0
0
1
0
3
0
continue
49
17
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
30
0
stay
7
0
1
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
keep
2
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
total
1054
84
82
354
67
26
70
29
123
29
126
53
11
become
appear
become, turn, go, fall, get, grow, come, prove
prefix
lexical vb
copula
být
catenative
c.
copula
stát se
0
50
100
150
1. Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?
Tatínek se zbláznil, viď?
2. … Father must be going blind
Tatínkovi zřejmě slábne zrak.
3.a. Harry thought the blood seemed
to be getting thicker.
Harry si říkal, že i krvavé skvrny
jsou větší.
3.b. I'm getting so frightened, Ichiro, I
can hardly eat, ….
Já už jsem tak vyděšená, že
ani jíst nemůžu, … .
4. She grew harsh with herself and the
patients.
Začala být k sobě i pacientům drsnější.
5. Their like will never fall victim to the
sort of grand catastrophe that …
Takoví se nikdy nestanou obětí
katastrofy, jaká ….
Remain, continue, stay, keep
1. As I remember, supper continued to
proceed in a most satisfactory manner.
Pokud se pamatuji, probíhala večeře klidně
a příjemně.
2. Mori-san remained absorbed by his
pictures.
Mori-san si dál zkoumavě prohlížel
obrázky.
3. He stays awake in any case this night, to
see if the figure moves towards him.
Zůstává tu noc v každém případě vzhůru,
aby viděl, zda se postava pohne směrem k
němu.
zero
adv.
time
lexical
vb
0
20
40
Appear, look, seem, sound, feel, taste
lexical vb
adv.
epistemic
zero
0
200
400
1. … and it seemed to her a
reversal of Kim
… a připadalo jí to jako Kim
naruby.
2. he seems capable in that
category.
je zřejmě v tomhle směru
schopný.
3. Well, your mother for one
doesn't seem to think so.
No, například tvoje maminka si
to nemyslí.
Epistemic modification
• “As if”
A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up
ahead.
Zepředu jako by k nim doléhalo tiché šustění a cinkání.
• Adverbials: zřejmě, očividně, zjevně, zdánlivě,
nejspíš, asi, možná, nepochybně
… they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.
… nejspíš si mysleli, že by ho to mohlo přivést na
nebezpečné nápady.
Tracing the function
Czech
prefix
English
copular
verbs
Czech
lexical vb
Czech
copula
English copula
English modal vb.
English modal adv.
Czech modal
adverbial
English modal adj.
etc.
English comment clause
etc.
etc.
zero
Epistemic adverbials: zřejmě, očividně, zjevně, zdánlivě,
nejspíš, asi, možná, nepochybně
English
originals
English
translations
Σ
(%)
Σ
(%)
modal adv.
210
40.3
111
46.8
copular vbs
77
14.8
7
3.0
modal vbs
110
21.1
34
14.3
comment cl.
60
11.5
27
11.4
modal adj.
18
3.5
5
2.2
zero
46
8.2
53
22.4
521
100
237
100
• Adverbials: obviously,
apparently, clearly, seemingly,
no doubt, of course, probably,
patently
• Copular vbs: seem, appear,
look
Different preferences in different
languages (paradigms of
choice vs patterns of choice)
The experiencer
• “… the sense verbs and verbs of seeming license a to
phrase where the oblique NP expresses the
experiencer.” (Huddleston & Pullum, 263)
• seem: “somebody or something gives the experiencer
the impression of being something or doing something.”
(Johansson, 118)
• English originals > Czech translations: expression of the
experiencer by the dative, corresponding to the English
to-PP, is about 4.6 times more frequent than explicit
reference to the experiencer in the original English texts.
To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible …
Někomu tak mladému jako ty to jistě zní neuvěřitelně …
The experiencer
More frequently overt in Czech:
• Obligatory complement with some verbs of perception
It felt as though he was sitting on some sort of plant.
Připadalo mu, že snad sedí na nějaké rostlině.
• Optional with others – different preferences
After what seemed an age, she turned and left.
Zdálo se jim, že to trvá celou věčnost, pak se však paní
Norrisová otočila a vyšla ven.
Czech
English
become
1
0
turn
1
0
go
4
0
fall
0
0
get
0
0
grow
0
0
come
1
0
prove
0
0
appear
9
1
look
7
2
seem
43
17
sound
6
0
feel
25
1
taste
0
0
remain
0
0
continue
0
0
stay
1
0
keep
0
0
97
21
The dative: d. (in)commodi
1. The cut had turned a nasty
shade of green.
Rána mu ošklivě zezelenala;
2. Wood was now looking as
though all his dreams had
come true at once.
Wood se teď tvářil, jako by se
mu naráz splnily všecky jeho
sny.
3. … that its details have stayed
imprinted on my memory
že se mi ve všech
podrobnostech vryl do paměti
Using bi-directional parallel corpora
English
originals
Czech
translations
English
translations
Czech
originals
making meanings visible
through translation patterns
(Johansson)
making it possible to proceed
from function to its realization
form
different preferences in
different languages:
paradigmatic choice vs
patterns of choice (Neumann)
the source text can leave its
mark on the translation
(overuse / underuse)
surprises
References
Biber, D. et al. (1999) The Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written
English. Harlow: Longman.
Dušková, L. (2004) ‘Syntactic constancy of the subject complement,
Part 1: A comparison between Czech and English.’ Linguistica
Pragensia XIV/2, pp 57-71.
Dušková, L. (2005) ‘Syntactic constancy of the subject complement,
Part 2: A comparison between English and Czech.’ Linguistica
Pragensia XV/1, pp 1-17.
Huddleston, R. & G. Pullum (2002) The Cambridge Grammar of the
English Language. Cambridge: CUP.
Johansson, S. (2007) Seeing through multilingual corpora. John
Benjamins Publishing Company.
Pustet, R. (2003) Copulas. Universals in the Categorization of the
Lexicon. Oxford: OUP.
Quirk, R. et al. (1985) A Comprehensive Grammar of the English
Language. London: Longman.