O polskich i litewskich zaimkach - wykładnikach nieokreśloności zakresowej

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Gretinamasis lenkų-lietuvių kalbų apibūdinimas; Interkalba; Kiekybinė apimtis; Kontrastinis lenkų-lietuvių kalbų aprašas; Semantinė apibrėžtumo-neapibrėžtumo kategorija; Semantinė apibrėžtumo/neapibrėžtumo kategorija; Tarptautinė kalba; Teorinis gretinamasis tyrimas; Teorinis kontrastinis tyrimas; Contrastive Polish-Lithuanian description; Interlanguage; Scope quantification; Semantic category of definiteness-indefiniteness; Semantic category of definiteness/indefiniteness; Theoretical contrastive research.

ENThe author discusses issues related to the study of definiteness/indefiniteness in natural language. He also presents the benefits of applying contemporary theoretical confrontative research on definiteness/indefiniteness and identifies the obvious limitations of the traditional approach to definiteness/indefiniteness based on morphological categories. The article emphasises the advantages of theoretical contrastive studies which use the interlanguage as a common semantic platform of meanings for languages under comparison. The author briefly outlines the semantic category of definiteness/indefiniteness. Interested readers are referred to the author's other publication released in 2004. The article then continues with a discussion of selected Lithuanian pronouns (tam tikras; kaž-...; ... nors; bet ...) which express vagueness: existentiality and generality. The pronouns are given an unambiguous quantifying interpretation and then juxtaposed with their Polish equivalents. The clearly visible difference between the Lithuanian and Polish expressions of vagueness is stressed. Namely, the Lithuanian forms ensure unequivocal expression of various quantifying meanings (existentiality presupposing oneness, existentiality proper, customary generality and generality proper) while the Polish equivalents allow a quantifying understatement. For example, the Polish series of pronouns with the affix -ś may express existentiality proper, for instance in this sentence: (a) Coś leży na stole, zdejmij to. / There is something on the table, take it off/. However, it may also express customary generality, as in this sentence: (b) Kup coś na obiad /Go and buy something/anything for lunch.In the Lithuanian language the meanings discussed in (a) are delivered by a series of pronouns with the affix kaž- (Lithuanian: Kažkas yra ant stalo, nuimk.) while the meaning (b) is delivered by particle nors (Lithuanian Nupirk ką nors pietums.) In author's opinion, the absence of simple Polish <->Lithuanian equivalents is the cause of language mistakes (caiques) in the speech of Poles who learn Lithuanian. This is illustrated with several sample sentences which may not only disrupt communication but are likely to lead to grotesque situations as well. [From the publication]