Syntactical homonyms

Syncretic forms

SOME SPECIAL DIFFICULTIES OF ANALYSIS

APPENDIX II

(syncretic forms, syntactic homonyms, dubious cases of analysis)

Though each sentence can be divided into parts as described in the section “Parts of the sentence”, the attribution of some parts may present certain difficulties.

Here we may distinguish three cases.

1. The analysis of parts of the sentence which contain two meanings at one and the same time (the so-called syncretic forms).

2. The analysis of phrases built on one and the same pattern in different syntactical functions (the so-called syntactical homonyms).

3. The analysis of parts of the sentence whose attribution is dubious due to their nature.

Difficulties of this kind arise where a part of the sentence contains two meanings at once and it is not always clear which of them is the predominant. This is usually the case with various classes of adverbials, especially those expressed by an infinitive, a participle, or phrases and complexes with these verbals.

Here are some examples.

She looked under the cot and laughed to see the girl crouched there.

The work done, I felt as free as a bird.

It growing dark, she hurried the boys home.

In all these sentences the parts in italics express at the same time the idea of the cause of the action of the predicate verb and an indication of the time of these actions.

In the sentence To hear him talk, you’ll think he's at least ten years old the part in italics combines the idea of time with that of condition.

In the sentences She was clever enough to keep silent; I’ve watched you work too long to underrate you the adverbials combine the idea of result with the idea of degree.

Sometimes an adverbial expressed by a noun with a preposition which name the place where the action of the predicate verb was performed actually denotes rather the time of the action than its place. This is usually the case where the adverbial is detached, as in: At home, she took off her hat and cloak and hurried to the kitchen. Here At home has rather the meaning ‘when she came home’.

Sometimes certain difficulties in analysis may arise from the fact that phrases, complexes or clauses of similar pattern can have different syntactical functions. They are called syntactical homonyms.

Here are a few simple examples:

I’ll do it with great pleasure (adverbial of manner).

She says she’s cut her finger with that table knife (object).

At last there appeared in the distance the house with the green roof (attribute).

He’s always with the losing party (predicative).

He looked as if he did not quite recognize the place (predicative clause).

He looked around as if he did not quite recognize the place (adverbial clause of manner).

The parts in italics have different syntactical functions due to the difference in lexical and grammatical semantics of the words they comprise, or the words they are connected with, or both.

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