Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 2002. Vol. 3. Eger Journal of English Studies.(Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 29)
Éva Kovács: Properties of Verbs Which Constitute Phrasal Verbs
PHRASAL VERBS 117 The above discussion clearly showed that even the combination of set + particle has a syntactic complexity. Their semantic properties, the discussion of which is our next concern, however, seem to be even more bewildering. 3 Semantic Properties As far as the semantic properties are concerned, fraser (1976:11) notes that there are some natural classes of verb-particle combinations characterized by some common semantic feature(s) where the difference in meaning between the verb and verb-particle combination can be characterized in a straight-forward and systematic way. Fraser (1976:5) calls verb-particle combinations in which a consistent alteration of meaning results from the presence of the particle systematic combinations (drink down , hang up , give over) and the ones in which the particle changes the meaning completely figurative combinations figure out, look up, auction off). In a number of phrasal verbs, the particle functions as an adverb and it has kept its original literal, spatial meaning. ABOUT and AROUND used in literal combinations indicate movement in many directions over a period of time, often without any specific aim or purpose. E.g. drift about, hurl things about, run around, push something around. AWAY indicates movement in a direction farther from you, or movement from the place where you are or were E.g. run away, pull something away. BACK is used with verbs of movement to say that someone or something returns to a place that they were before. E.g. blow back, get something back. DOWN indicates movement from a higher position or place to a lower one. E.g. come down, put down. The basic meaning of OFF is to do with movement away from something or separation from it and that of ON is to do with position, indicating that one thing is above another, touching it and supported by it, or with movement into that position. E.g. get on I off. The literal meaning of OUT is movement from the inside of an enclosed space or container to the outside of it. You use THROUGH in literal combinations with the meaning of passing from one side of something to the other. E.g. poke through, see through. The basic meaning of UP is movement from a lower position or place to a higher one. YL.g.jump up, pick up. Fraser (1976:7) notes, however, that the systematic cases amount to only a small part of the total number of verb-particle combinations, and the unsystematic figurative cases are much more frequent. Even within the group of systematic verb-particle combinations, Fraser
