In this paper, we analyze a group of verbs of saying which designate the intensity of voice, making a comparison between Latin and Romanian. We are interested in the way the two languages organize this lexical-semantic subclass. In Latin, the subclass analyzed is larger than in Romanian, due to composition with pre-verbs, particles attached to verbs in order to express different nuances of the original meaning or to enforce the primary verbs. The process of developing metaphorical meanings for expressing the idea of ‘saying in low/high intensity’ are quite similar in Latin and Romanian. A source of verbs that permit this transfer of meaning are verbs referring to animal sound. This contributes to the expressivity of the subclass.
Key words:
verba dicendi; intensity of voice; low intensity; high intensity; figurative development of meaning
The citations/references list is based on indexed publications only, and may therefore be incomplete. For any and all inquiries related to the database, please contact us at [Please enable javascript to view.].
html 