Íslenskt mál og almenn málfræði - 01.01.2016, Blaðsíða 49
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summary
‘When the weather gets colder and the wind heavier — then it snows
On the argument structure of weather verbs in Icelandic’
Keywords: weather verbs, subject, oblique subject, argument structure, weather-hann
In this article we present the findings of an empirical study on 19 weather verbs in
Icelandic, in a synchronic and diachronic perspective. Although weather verbs in Icleandic
have been labelled “no argument predicates” (Höskuldur Þráinsson 2007:267), the present
study shows that most weather verbs can also take NPs, in either nominative, accusative
or dative case. In some instances there is a semantic difference depending on whether the
verbs occur on their own or with an NP (i). In other cases no such semantic difference can
be perceived (ii).
(i) a. Í gær rigndi.
yesterday rained
‘Yesterday it rained.’
b. Í gær rigndi blóði.
yesterday rained blood(dat.)
‘Yesterday it rained blood.’
(ii) a. Í gær hvessti.
yesterday got-windy
‘Yesterday it got windy.’
b. Í gær hvessti vindinn.
yesterday got-windy the-wind(acc.)
‘Yesterday it got windy.’
Certain weather verbs (e.g. blása ‘blow’ and drífa ‘snow’) can be used with NPs in different
cases, but this generally involves some semantic difference (iii).
(iii) a. Vindurinn blés.
the-wind blew
‘The wind was blowing.’
b. Hauginn blés.
the-mound(acc.) blew
‘The mound eroded.’
Þegar veðrið kólnar og vindinn hvessir — þá snjóar hann 49