P esen a ional capaci y o English ansi i e e bs:
On some seman ic and FSP aspec s o SEIZE
Ma in Adam (B no)
ABSTRACT
E en hough anumbe o e bs, owing o hei syn ac ic-seman ic cha ac e is ics, end o ope a e
p ima ily in P esen a ion o Quali y Scales espec i ely, mos e bs gene ally appea o be capable
o ac ing wi hin bo h he scales. In au hen ic communica ion, he sen ence pe spec i e is de e -
mined by a ious c i e ia: apa om he ela i e “weigh iness” o he pos e bal modi ica ion, i
is especially he con ex -independence o he subjec along wi h he p esen a ional capaci y o he
e b ha plays ac ucial ole. This pape se s ou o explo e he syn ac ic and seman ic quali ies o
he ansi i e e b seize. Making use o wo la ge co po a, he p oposed case s udy ies o delimi
unde wha condi ions seize ends o ope a e in one o he wo dynamic seman ic scales. Model sen-
ences a e con as ed in e ms o hei p esen a ional/quali a i e ea u es wi h special ega d o he
phenomenon o subjec — e b seman ic a ini y.
KEYWORDS
FSP, p esen a ion, quali y, e b, ansi i e
DOI
h ps://doi.o g/10.14712/18059635.2019.2.4
1. OPENING REMARKS
D awing on Fi bas’s insigh ul obse a ions (e.g. Fi bas 1975: 45–70; 1992: 41–65, 77 ;
1995: 5–8), ecen esea ch in o he heo y o unc ional sen ence pe spec i e (FSP)
has demons a ed ha he syn ac ic-seman ic cha ac e is ics o he English ansi-
ional1 e b play ac ucial ole wi hin he o e all sen ence pe spec i e (e.g. Duško á
2008: 67–77; 2015: 256–68; Chamonikolaso á 2010: 86–93; Adam 2013: 51–53, 157 ; 2014:
179–194; 2016: 9–15; Chamonikolaso á e al. 2015: 9–18). In he amewo k o he heo y
o FSP, sen ences implemen ei he P esen a ion o Quali y Scale (summa ized e.g. in
Fi bas 1992: 66–69); i ollows ha — unde a ou able condi ions— mos e bs gen-
e ally appea o be capable o ac ing wi hin bo h he dynamic seman ic scales. How-
e e , i has become clea ha ce ain e bs end o ope a e in one o he scales, mainly
hanks o hei syn ac ic and seman ic p ope ies (e.g. he e b ca ego ies ela ed o
ansi i i y, complemen a ion, e c.). Thus, o ins ance, e bs o exis ence and appea -
ance mani es an ob ious inclina ion owa ds p esen a ion, while o he s, such as e bs
o mo ion, appea o be capable o ac ing wi hin bo h he scales depending on hei
syn ac ic seman ic con igu a ion. Inciden ally, i is he e o e mo e p ecise o speak
1 Unlike he e m “ ansi i e” used in connec ion o he ansi i e cha ac e o he e b
(syn ac ic alency) elsewhe e in he ex , he e m “ ansi ional” e e s o he FSP concep
o he ansi ion (i.e. he ansi ional uni ope a ing be ween he heme and he heme).
MARTIN ADAM 179
o “ e bs in p esen a ion o quali y use” a he han o he simpli ying dis inc ion o
pu ely p esen a ion o quali y e bs. T ansi ional e bs o ei he cha ac e ac , as i
we e, as “pi o pins” a ound which he emaining sen ence elemen s a e a anged,
hus gi ing he communica i e uni one o he wo pe spec i es (Adam 2013: 162–165).
Ap ly elabo a ing on he amous appea ance o he wo- aced Ancien Roman god
named Janus (Adam 2016: 8–9), he god o ansi ions (ga es, doo s, passages e c.),
who was able o look bo h o he pas and o he u u e, Fi bas (1992: 91) s esses he
ansi ional e b’s “capabili y o poin in wo di ec ions— in ha o he Th and in ha
o he Rh— and simul aneously o link he Th and he non-Th”; his special cha ac e ,
in Fi bas’s opinion, places he ansi ional e b in he cen e o he sen ence, which
“se es bo h as a ield o syn ac ic ela ions and as a ield o FSP ela ions” (ibid.).
Such a wo-sided cha ac e o he ansi ional e b may also be eadily obse ed in
he a ea o he sen ence pe spec i e as such, in i s essen ial communica i e o ien a-
ion: whe eas he ypically ansi ional e b ep esen s he solid cen e o he sen-
ence (hence he “pi o pin” idea in Adam 2016: 8), he heme and he heme ake
di e en posi ions unde gi en ci cums ances (FSP ac o s), al e ing he wo sphe es.
The cu en esea ch indings ha e shown ha he mos p omising s ep a his
poin is he case analysis o indi idual e bs ha appea in bo h he scales wi hin he
co po a unde examina ion. I is belie ed ha in es iga ing hei syn ac ic-seman ic
p ope ies in con ex may shed ligh no only on po en ial common denomina o s bu
also on unc ional di e ences.
2. RESEARCH TOPIC, METHOD AND CORPUS
The p esen pape o e s aco pus-based analysis he aim o which is o examine he
syn ac ic and seman ic quali ies o he e b seize in di e en FSP con ex s, indica -
ing unde wha condi ions i ends o ope a e in one o he wo dynamic seman ic
scales. (seize was epea edly iden i ied as one o hose e bs ha can appea in bo h
dynamic seman ic scales; see e.g. Adam 2013: 97–105; 2016: 7–9, 14 .) I is necessa y
o no e ha he e b seize, ob iously in line wi h i s ansi i i y, displays a aceable
inclina ion o occu p edominan ly in he Quali y Scale; i s ope a ion in p esen a i e
con ex s is he e o e o pa amoun impo ance since i can adumb a e he sub le p o-
cesses and ac o s ha de e mine he pe spec i e o he sen ence in he gi en syn-
ac ic and seman ic coo dina es. Ano he ela ed aspec ha has p o ed o play asig-
ni ican ole in he complex phenomenon o sen ence pe spec i e is he SV seman ic
a ini y; he poin is ha ansi i e e bs a e, by na u e, p o o ypically p edisposed
o ope a e wi hin he Quali y Scale and hei la en p esen a ion po en ial can be ig-
ge ed by hei seman ic a ini y wi h he subjec (see e.g. Fi bas 1992: 60–61; S oboda
2005: 225 ; Duško á 1999: 247 ; 2008: 72–73; Adam 2013: 109–131).
To sum up, he co pus-based con as i e analysis ca ied ou in he scope o he
p esen s udy should p o ide an answe o he ollowing esea ch ques ion: Wha , in
e ms o i s syn ac ic-seman ic cha ac e is ics, p edisposes he English ansi ional
e b seize o se e in he P esen a ion and Quali y Scales espec i ely? Acon as i e
analysis o one e b capable o ope a ing in wo dis inc sen ence pe spec i es seems
180 LINGUISTICA PRAGENSIA 2/2019
o be an auspicious s ide in depic ing he dis inc i e ea u es o he e b’s endency
o ope a e in he P esen a ion and/o Quali y Scale sen ences.
Due o he cu en absence o a agged English FSP-o ien ed co pus and o he
sake o as a is ically ele an size o he co pus (c . Chamonikolaso á e al. 2015:
9–18), model sen ences, ex ac ed om he B i ish Na ional Co pus (hence o wa d
BNC) h ough he Ske ch Engine conco dance as well as he English-Czech pa al-
lel co pus In e Co p (abb e ia ed he ea e IC), will be con as ed and discussed
in e ms o hei p esen a ional/quali a i e ea u es. The sample sen ences we e se-
lec ed andomly om he co pus-d i en da a. Mo e speci ically, i s ly all sen ences
ea u ing he e b lemma “seize” we e ex ac ed elec onically i espec i e o he FSP
s uc u e o he sen ences. The sea ch was ca ied ou in o de o ecei e acomple e
lis o such sen ences; ne e heless, o make he co pus selec ion s a is ically ep e-
sen a i e as well as manageable in e ms o he con as i e analysis he esul s we e
hen hinned a andom o 2,500 i ems in bo h he sub-co po a (5,000 in o al), which
hen cons i u e he esea ch sample.
Fo he pu poses o he FSP analysis, indi idual dis ibu ional ields we e asc ibed
co esponding dynamic seman ic unc ions and p esen ed in ag aphically simpli ied
cha ( he numbe o he oken in he elec onic co pus, he p e e bal sec ion— he
dynamic seman ic unc ions o he Phenomenon (Ph) o he Bea e o Quali y (B)
depending on he ype o scale, he ansi ional e b— unc ioning as P esen a ion
(P ) o Quali y (Q), and inally, he pos e bal sec ion ea u ing he Se ing (Se ) o
Speci ica ion (Sp) espec i ely (Fi bas 1992: 66 ; c . Chamonikolaso á and Adam
2005: 59–69; Chamonikolaso á 2010: 86–94). Apa om he numbe o he hi in he
i s column, he able displays he sen ence con aining he que y lemma (i.e. seize),
a ound which he es o he ex is cen ally spli up, hus p o iding he necessa y
con ex . I needed, he con ex a ailable may be easily expanded in he elec onic on-
line e sion. Below, in Table 1, is asample demons a ion o he co po a ( he hema ic
elemen s a e in bold p in ):
Ph / B P / Q Se / Sp
BNC2484 in o he os -gleamed blue o he
nigh . An idea seized he . Fo he li e’s sake Chesa yn h
u ned
BNC218 Rioms. In Ap il 1295, howe e , he
F ench seized he own a e a io among he
English oops.
BNC224 og was hinne ou he e. Sud-
denly acoughing i seized him, and as ab o agony lanced
h ough
Table 1.Co pus sample
The FSP analysis i sel had o be execu ed manually. As ega ds i s s a is ical esul s,
he sen ences which implemen he P esen a ion Scale amoun o ame e 1.28 pe cen
(64 i ems ou o 5,000 in o al); his inding is associa ed wi h he e b’s ansi i i y—
and, consequen ly, wi h i s na u al inclina ion o ope a e in he Quali y Scale. The e-
maining communica i e ields a e logically ep esen ed by Quali y Scale sen ences
(98.72 pe cen )— o de ails see Table 2 below:
MARTIN ADAM 181
Co pus Seize ( o al) Seize in P Scale Seize in Q Scale
BNC 2,500 27 1.08% 2,473 98.92%
In e Co p 2,500 37 1.48% 2,463 98.52%
To al 5,000 64 1.28% 4,936 98.72%
Table 2.Co pus indings
3. PRESENTATION VS QUALITY
The ela i ely indis inc bo de line be ween he P esen a ion and Quali y Scales has
aised anumbe o ques ions in ecen FSP esea ch (Fi bas 1999: 305–317; Duško á
1999: 249–262; 2015: 202–208, 256–268; S oboda 2005: 225–230; 2006: 215–220; Cham-
onikolaso á and Adam 2005: 59–69; Chamonikolaso á 2010: 86–93; Adam 2013:
157–165; 2016: 10–18; D ápela 2012: 43–49; Roh aue 2015: 148 , 162–164; B ůho á and
Malá 2017: 19–38). Wha e e he main issues, all he au ho s, as ama e o ac , ul i-
ma ely a emp o sol e in icacies associa ed wi h FSP in e p e a ion, and he qual-
i y s p esen a ion scale dis inc ion in pa icula . In his espec , pe haps he mos
oublesome con igu a ion o he heme- heme s uc u e is posed by sen ences ha
a e po en ially capable o bo h ap esen a ion and quali a i e in e p e a ion, iz.
communica i e uni s ea u ing an ini ial hema ic subjec (e.g., Panic seized me). De-
i ing om he in e play o all he FSP ac o s in ol ed ( iz. con ex , linea modi-
ica ion and seman ics in w i en discou se, accompanied by in ona ion in spoken
discou se) he sen ence pe spec i e hen e lec s he dis ibu ion o he deg ees o
communica i e dynamism. C . he wo possible FSP in e p e a ions o iden ical syn-
ac ic s uc u es below (indi idual uni s display he basic Rh-T -Th s uc u e and
a e asc ibed co esponding dynamic seman ic unc ions; he hema ic uni s a e p e-
sen ed in bold):
(1) Panic (Rh | Ph) seized (T | P ) me (Th | Se ). P esen a ion Scale
(2) Panic (Th | B) seized (T | Q) me (Rh | Sp). Quali y Scale
In example (1) he second mos ecu ing sub ype o p esen a ion sen ence pa e n,
iz. ha wi h a hema ic subjec in he ini ial, i.e. p e e bal posi ion, is exempli ied.
Such acon igu a ion is pe cei ed as he p o o ypical, canonical ype o p esen a ion
(Duško á e al. 1988: 62, 531–532). In i , he ini ial sen ence elemen is ep esen ed by
acon ex -independen subjec , which is only hen ollowed (in conco d wi h he e-
qui emen s o he English wo d o de p inciples) by he e b exp essing exis ence
o appea ance on he scene (c . Duško á 1999: 248–250); he sen ence may also open
wi h ascene-se ing empo al o spa ial hema ic ad e bial, he posi ion o which is
a he ola ile. As a esul , he end- ocus p inciple is no applied. I should be no ed,
howe e , ha sen ences wi h a hema ic subjec in ap e e bal posi ion a e, as a ule,
conside ed unma ked by na i e speake s o English.
Example (2), pe haps somewha a i icial, ye con ex ually plausible, p esen s
asen ence ha implemen s he Quali y Scale: unde he ci cums ances, he con ex -
dependen subjec (Panic) se es as aBea e o Quali y and is elabo a ed by he mos
182 LINGUISTICA PRAGENSIA 2/2019
dynamic elemen o he communica i e uni ( heme), i.e. he Speci ica ion (me), he
possible con ex being pe haps acon as be ween he speake and ano he pe son
(…me, no him, e c.). As men ioned abo e, seize ep esen s a ansi i e e b and so
p o o ypically ope a es in he Quali y Scale. In ex. (2), some hing new, decon ex ual-
ized is said abou he subjec , and so he highes deg ee o communica i e dynamism
is ca ied by he di ec objec (me).
Ye , i mus be no ed ha i is sen ence (1) ha is ex ac ed as an au hen ic piece o
language om he co pus, no example (2), which has been modelled o he sake o
compa ison only. Gene ally speaking, he English e b can ope a e in he P esen a-
ion Scale i i “exp esses he exis ence o appea ance on he scene explici ly o wi h
su icien implici ness” (Fi bas 1995: 65; c . Adam 2013: 107–115). Whe eas he explici
p esen a i e e bs ep esen a ela i ely homogeneous se ypically ec ui ed e.g.
om he e b classes o he e bs o exis ence/appea ance on he scene, e bs o
emission, e bs o c ea ion, e bs o mo ion and he like (Adam 2013: 115–116, 160,
164; o a ine-g ained classi ica ion o e bs see also Le in 1993: 250 ), he e bs ha
exp ess p esen a ion implici ly a e seman ically much mo e a ied. As men ioned
abo e, he common denomina o ha is capable o enhancing hei p esen a i e po-
en ial is he seman ic a ini y be ween he con ex independen subjec and he
p esen a i e e b (Fi bas 1992: 60–62; S oboda 2005: 224 ; Duško á 1999: 248 ; Adam
2011: 23–30; D ápela 2012: 43–49). Such SV seman ic a ini y is ypically obse ed in
he ields o na u al/supe na u al phenomena, auna and lo a, senso y ac ions, in-
he en quali ies o inanima e objec s, e c. (Adam 2013: 109–116, 121 ). C . example (3)
below:2
(3) Soon (Th | Se ), wo cups o ea (Rh | Ph) we e s eaming (T | P ) on he able
(Th | Se ).
The e bal ac ion is so seman ically inhe en o he subjec (cups o ea— s eaming)
ha i is he subjec ha akes o e he communica i e p ominence a he expense o
powe o he e bal con en (c . Adam 2013: 113–115; 2016: 7–18). The s a ic seman ics
o he e b— e en i exp essing aspeci ic ype o ac ion— is educed o ha o p e-
sen a ion; in o he wo ds, he seman ic con en o he e bal elemen is so na u al o
he agen employed ha he ull e b se es o deno e a o m o exis ence o appea -
ance on he scene.
2 O he sub ypes o SV seman ic a ini y may be illus a ed by he ollowing examples ex-
ac ed om Adam 2013: 146 ( he hema ic subjec is in bold, he ansi ional e b is un-
de lined, and he so o a ini y is speci ied in he pa en heses): Ada k spide y shadow
lashed ac oss he ga dens on he hillside. (senso y e ec s— isual, acous ic, ol ac o y, e c.);
Aghos o asmile ho e ed on M s Swallow’s lips. ( acial exp essions and bodily eelings);
Aligh b eeze sp ang up. (na u al and supe na u al phenomena); Abi d suddenly chi ped
om he b anch o a ee. ( auna and lo a), e c.

MARTIN ADAM 183
4. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
As cla i ied a he beginning o he p esen pape , he cu en esea ch is in en ion-
ally ocused on he condi ions and ci cums ances ha make i possible o a ansi i e
e b o ope a e wi hin he P esen a ion Scale, iz. he e b seize. The analysis below
will hus compa e and con as au hen ic sen ences wi h seize ha we e de ec ed in
bo h he dynamic seman ic scales: he p esen a ion and Quali y Scales espec i ely.
Special a en ion will be paid bo h o hei syn ac ic cha ac e is ics and o he po en-
ial ole o SV seman ic a ini y.
Table (3) below ea u es a andomized selec ion o he co pus hi s (no acomple e
lis ) in which he sen ences implemen he P esen a ion Scale ( o he sake o anspa -
ency, he hema ic Phenomena— he con ex -independen subjec s— a e in bold):
Co pus Ph P Se
BNC2116 Asudden ea seized him: (…)
BNC2324 Awa e o panic seized he .
BNC2381 Ag ea longing o Toby seized me.
BNC2484 …, an idea seized he .
BNC224 …, acoughing i seized him, (…)
BNC1453 …, ano he spasm seized him.
BNC1705 Such adespai seized him.
BNC1962 Ala m seized he .
BNC2090 …, asudden, ho wa e o panic seized he .
IC24 Aghas ly s age- igh seized him.
IC25 Te o seized me.
IC26 A emp a ion seized him.
IC30 A ouch o hys e ia seized he .
IC31 An impulse o gene osi y seized him.
Table 3.Seize: P -scale co pus examples
I is ob ious ha all he hi s gi en in Table 3 a e ma ked by apeculia syn ac ic s uc-
u e: he e bs a e ansi i e, ye he di ec objec s do no pe o m he dynamic se-
man ic unc ion o Speci ica ion (which would be heo e ically assumable), bu ha
o aSe ing. Fu he mo e, all hese Se ings a e in a iably ealized as single-wo d
pe sonal p onouns (him, he ); such s iking conciseness o he pos e bal sec ion de -
ini ely has o do wi h he sen ence pe spec i e. The poin is ha i is he con ex -in-
dependen subjec s ha ca y he highes deg ee o communica i e dynamism. Con-
sequen ly, he sen ences a e pe spec i ed owa ds hei subjec s and implemen he
P esen a ion Scale.
As has been ecalled abo e, esea ch has con incingly indica ed ha in p esen a ion
sen ences wi h hema ic p e e bal subjec s i is o en he seman ic a ini y be ween he
subjec and he e b ha plays ac ucial, i no decisi e, ole in he sen ence pe spec i e
(Adam 2013: 118 ; 2014; c . Duško á 2015: 267–8). Simila ly he e, he subjec s a e unan-
184 LINGUISTICA PRAGENSIA 2/2019
imously ep esen ed by ela i ely s ong men al, physical and spi i ual phenomena
ha a e ela ed o human body and mind, bo h posi i e and nega i e: panic, hough ,
idea, demon, c amp, and he like. In o he wo ds, “seizing somebody o some hing” is
he modus i endi o hese en i ies and so hey can implici ly exp ess exis ence on he
scene. I seems ha i is he SVseman ic a ini y ha made i possible o he ansi i e
e b seize o p esen aphenomenon on he scene; wi hou he ob ious a ini y, he
sen ences would be in e p e ed as hose implemen ing he Quali y Scale.
In he sample sen ences in Table 3, he ac ion is ob iously so seman ically inhe -
en o he subjec s (i.e. so s ongly subjec - ela ed) ha i is he subjec ha akes
o e he communica i e p ominence a he expense o powe o he e bal con en .
The s a ic seman ics o he e b seize hen— e en i exp essing aspeci ic ype o
ac ion— is educed o ha o p esen a ion. In o he wo ds, he seman ic con en o
he e bal elemen is so na u al o he agen s employed ha he ull e b se es o
deno e a o m o exis ence o appea ance on he scene in an implici way (c . he Fi -
basian concep o implici exp ession o exis ence/appea ance, especially in Fi bas
1992: 88–89; 1995: 65). I ollows ha he e b ha ope a es in seman ic a ini y wi h
i s subjec seman ically suppo s he cha ac e o he subjec : one may eadily say
ha seizing is an inb ed way o exis ence, o a he appea ance, o coming diseases,
bodily symp oms, men al o spi i ual seizu es, e c.
Table 4 below o e s a ull, exhaus i e enume a ion o all he con ex independen
phenomena aced in he co pus ha a e p esen ed on he scene h ough he e b
seize. In he able, he indi idual hema ic subjec s a e classi ied in o se e al ca ego-
ies in e ms o hei lexical seman ics (i he i em appea ed mo e han once in he
co pus, i s occu ence in gi en in he pa en heses):
Seman ic ield Rh (Phenomena) P - e b
ea
panic (8x), e o (6x), ea (4x), despai (3x), g ie (2x),
anxie y (2x), ala m, es lessness, sel -pi y, ago aphobia,
aghas ly s age- igh , a eeling o s inging melancholy,
ablack age, a ouch o hys e ia
seize
desi e desi e (2x), longing, loa hing ambi ion, emp a ion,
a eckless da ing
physiological
p ocess
acoughing i / abou o coughing (2x), spasm, shudde s,
e e , adeadly nausea, climax
men al p ocess idea (3x), hough , madness, eligious mania
spi i ual powe demon, e il spi i
body apai o hands, se e al pai s o s ong g ey hands, ho
small inge s, ag ip s onge and colde han i on
Table 4.Seman ic ields o he Phenomena p esen ed by seize
Ob iously, all he con ex -independen hema ic subjec s ou lined in Table 4 abo e
epo as iking seman ic a ini y wi h he e b seize. Thei common seman ic de-
nomina o can be asc ibed alabel o “human, s ong, p e ailingly nega i e physical
and men al p ocesses”, wi h ea being by a he mos equen seman ic ield. Admi -
MARTIN ADAM 185
edly, e en hough i is possible o classi y he indi idual Phenomena in o anumbe
o seman ic ca ego ies, hese may a imes o e lap; inciden ally, his obse a ion also
es i ies o he o e all high deg ee o seman ic a ini y wi h he e b. I ollows ha
such SV a ini y hus cons i u es one o he i al ea u es ha enhance, i no de e -
mine, he abili y o he ansi i e e b seize o p esen aPhenomenon on he scene.
Fu he mo e, he sen ences unde examina ion display an ex emely analogous
minimal syn ac ic pa e n: Phenomenon— seized— p onoun: Panic seized me /
Te o seized he , and he like. Whe eas he p e e bal pa in a iably ea u es he con-
ex -independen subjec , whe he ealized by asingle wo d o de eloped by an a i-
bu e, he pos - e bal sec ion is, on he con a y, ex emely sho , and o en minimal.
On op o ha , he su p isingly uni ied se o he o ms o he e b seize ( iz. he pas
simple ense seized) also adds o he o e all uni o m cha ac e o he sen ences un-
de sc u iny. To sum up, he dynamic seman ic unc ions o sen ence elemen s seem
o be closely ela ed o he lexical seman ics o bo h he e b and he subjec , in he SV
seman ic a ini y in pa icula . In he a ea o FSP esea ch, apa om he in e play
o he h ee ac o s (con ex , linea modi ica ion and seman ics), he e a e wo mo e
aspec s ha may co obo a e (o , al e na i ely, e u e) asen ence in e p e a ion: (i)
in ona ion (abo e all he placemen o he nuclea s ess on he hema ic subjec in
English), which o cou se joins he in e p e a ion in spoken discou se only, and (ii)
he ansla ion o ano he language, such as Czech, which— owing o di e en FSP
p io i ies— p ima ily e lec s he g adual ise o he deg ees o communica i e dy-
namism in unma ked sen ences. Thus, by scanning (po en ial) Czech equi alen s ha
s ic ly ollow he end- ocus p inciple one may u ilize ano he indica o o he FSP
in e p e a ion. Table 5 below con as s he wo language mu a ions ex ac ed om
he pa allel co pus In e Co p ( he non-pa allel co pus BNC logically does no p o-
ide ansla ions):
English o iginal Czech ansla ion
Despai seized me. Zmocnilo se mě zou als í.
Panic seized he . P opadla panice.
Te o seized he . Zach á il ji děs.
…as an ex aneous wa e o anxie y o
he child seized him.
…, k e ého popadla nepa řičná úzkos
odí ě.
Sel -pi y seized him. Upadl do sebelí os i.
Now abou o coughing seized him. Vzápě í se ozkašlal.
Fo he i s ime in my li e a eeling o o e -
powe ing s inging melancholy seized me.
Pop é ži o ě se mě zmocnil d i ý poci
boles ně doléhající melancholie.
Aghas ly s age- igh seized him. Zmocnila se ho příše ná éma.
… un il he oin seized he . … askončila uhe oinu.
A ouch o hys e ia seized he . …, z edla se ní lna sko o až jakési
hys e ie.
A emp a ion seized him. Ale najednou dos al jiný nápad.
Table 5.English P sen ences and hei Czech ansla ion equi alen s (In e Co p)
186 LINGUISTICA PRAGENSIA 2/2019
The me e unc ional compa ison o he wo coun e pa s e eals he wo ypes o
linea modi ica ions in aclea -cu jux aposi ion. Whe eas he English p esen a ion
sen ences display hei hemes (con ex -independen subjec s) logically in he ini ial
posi ion due o he equi emen s o English g amma , ac ually iola ing he end- o-
cus, he Czech ansla ion equi alen s place hei mos dynamic communica i e uni s
in a iably in he inal posi ion in line wi h he Czech wo d o de p inciples. Thus,
he FSP in e p e a ion o he English communica i e ields— ha o P esen a ion
Scale— is e lec ed, and suppo ed, by he compa a i e analysis. Inciden ally, his
in e p e a ion is equally applicable o all he cases o e ed by In e Co p— in all he
Czech ansla ions o English p esen a ion sen ences he heme is placed in he inal
posi ion and hus e lec s he g adual ise o communica i e dynamism.
In acco dance wi h wha has been said abo e, Duško á (2008: 72–73) also men-
ions seman ic a ini y obse ed be ween he e b and he subjec as an accompa-
nying phenomenon o p esen a ion sen ences. Commen ing on a ious possibili ies
a ou ing he p esen a ional in e p e a ion, she claims ha he p esen a ion e bs
mani es ing a ini y may be— wi h iden ical e ec — unc ionally eplaced by e bs
ha exp ess exis ence/appea ance on he scene in apu ely explici manne . Thus, he
co pus sen ence Asudden ea seized him, o ins ance, could be analogously exp essed
by means o an explici p esen a ion e b (4), by aloca i e ad e bial cons uc ion in
he objec posi ion (5), by apassi e cons uc ion (6), no o speak o an exis en ial
he e-cons uc ion p ope (7). C . he pa aph ased modi ica ions:
(4) Asudden ea appea ed in him / his mind.
(5) He had asudden ea in him / his mind.
(6) He was suddenly seized by ea .
(7) Suddenly, he e was a ea in him / his mind.
Apa allel ans o ma ion is na u ally unhea d-o in he sen ences implemen ing he
Quali y Scale; in hem, some hing new is said abou he con ex -dependen Bea e o
Quali y and he p edica ion does no exp ess exis ence/appea ance on he scene any
mo e. I ollows ha he e b(s) used canno be eplaced by aP - e b wi hou chang-
ing he FSP o he sen ence.
The co pus da a, o cou se, display a o ally opposi e se o seman ic-syn ac ic
ea u es in he case o seize sen ences implemen ing he Quali y Scale. Howe e ,
o ge acomple e pic u e o he seman ic and FSP aspec s o he e b seize, i is also
necessa y o discuss his pa allel (and ac ually much mo e equen ) possibili y o
sen ence pe spec i e. Fi s ly, c . a andomized selec ion o sample sen ences iden i-
ied in he co pus:
Co pus B Q Sp
BNC141 … he ebels who seized an ai o ce base a e a as alema e.
BNC164 … he o de wen ou o seize he unpublished ex s and pla es.
BNC218 In Ap il 1295,
howe e , he F ench
seized he own a e a io among he
English oops.