Browsing by Subject "syntax"

This thesis examines non-finite verbs and their collocates in translated and non-translated Finnish-language baking recipes. The frequencies of non-finite verb forms in the two language varieties are compared, and collocates and colligate types occurring in connection with non-finite verbs are examined. These results are, then, viewed in relation to the translation universals of simplification, explicitation, interference and untypical frequencies. In addition, the frequencies are compared with frequencies in standard language. The analysis finds most non-finite forms to occur with fairly concordant frequencies in both language varieties. However, some forms, namely the inessive of the E-infinitive and the illative of the MA-infinitive, present a higher frequency in translated recipes. The overrepresentation of the inessive is line with earlier studies (Eskola 2002 and Puurtinen 2005) and could be regarded as support for the universals of untypical frequencies and, potentially, of interference. On the other hand, significant differences are also found between translated texts, particularly with regard to the illative of the MA-infinitive and the instructive of the E-infinitive, which occur with frequencies both higher and lower than in the non-translated texts. These discrepancies might be considered a manifestation of untypical frequencies in translations, but overall support for explicitation or simplification is not found. Most frequencies of non-finite forms analyzed are in concordance with frequencies in standard language (according to Ikola et al. 1989). However, the illative of the MA-infinitive is found to occur with a lower frequency and the instructive of the E-infinitive with a higher frequency than in standard Finnish. This thesis suggests that this may be due to the relationship between the function of recipes and the functions of the two verb forms. In an analysis of collocate positions, the recipes present a tendency to left-positioning. Interestingly, the analysis shows no significant differences between translated and non-translated language. This contradicts earlier studies, which have shown right-positioning to be more prevalent in Finnish translated from English than in non-translated Finnish (Eskola 2004). In contrast with these studies, the results here suggest no interference from the source language in the positioning of collocates. The material consists of forty baking recipes from four cookbooks, two of them translated and two non-translated. Recipe language, more specifically the language of their instructions, presents a highly conventionalized syntax with few complex structures and many imperatives (Pakkala-Weckström 2014). This thesis suggests, however, that non-finite verbs, instructives of the E-infinitive in particular, may be an essential component of recipe Finnish. The collocate analysis performed further suggests that it is the collocates – e.g. adverbials of time, manner and instrument – that make these non-finites meaningful, instructing the reader on how often, in which way and with what to process the ingredients, thus helping to fulfil the operative function of recipes.