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FEATURE
 Phrasal
verbs international
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on Phrasal Verbs:
Introduction
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by Jonathan
Marks
•
Introduction
• Phrasal verbs in Scandinavian languages
• Phrasal verbs in German
• Phrasal verbs in
Slavonic languages
• Phrasal verbs in
Romance languages
• Phrasal nouns and
phrasal adjectives/adverbs
• Summary
• Next in the series
Both teachers and
learners often think of phrasal verbs as something unique to the English
language, perhaps deliberately intended to make English unnecessarily
difficult to learn! Well, phrasal verbs are certainly very characteristic
of English, but not so unique as is often thought. In this article I want
to point out that some other languages have composite verbs with very
similar features of construction and meaning. These could also be called
'phrasal verbs', although the term is generally only used in connection
with English.
The examples I give are taken from Germanic, Romance and
Slavonic languages. These are all members of the Indo-European family
of languages and are all, geographically speaking, originally European
– although some of them have spread much further afield, of course. As
a selection of the world's languages, this is obviously pretty limited,
although on the other hand it includes the mother tongues of quite a large
proportion of learners of English.
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English has both 'verb + particle' verbs, written as two
words, such as run over and set up, and 'particle + verb'
verbs, written as a single word, such as overrun and upset.
The 'verb + particle' ones are generally called phrasal verbs, but there
seems no reason why the term shouldn't be extended to cover the 'particle + verb'
ones too.
The same two types of composite verb occur in North Germanic
languages. These examples are from Swedish; Danish and Norwegian are,
generally speaking, very similar.
| verb + particle
(two words): |
| |
components |
meaning |
| fylla i |
fill + in |
fill in/fill up |
| Jag har fyllt i
blanketten. |
|
I've filled in the form. |
| |
|
|
| particle + verb
(one word): |
| utveckla |
out + fold |
develop |
| Vi utvecklar
en ny metod. |
|
We're developing a new method. |
The meanings of verbs and particles are combined to form
concrete and figurative senses in the same way as in English, though the
exact combinations and their meanings sometimes differ, as can be seen
from the following examples.
| |
components |
meaning |
| gå upp |
go + up |
get up |
| gå in för
|
go + in + for |
go in for |
| längta efter |
long + after |
long for |
| se upp till |
see + up + to |
look up to, respect |
| se upp för |
see + up + for |
look out for/watch out for |
| ta efter |
take + after |
take after, imitate |
| ta i |
take + in |
get hold of |
| efterleva |
after + live |
obey, observe (precepts, etc.) |
| framhålla |
forth + hold |
maintain (opinions, etc.) |
| framkalla |
forth + call |
develop (photos), evoke, recall |
| förse |
before + see |
provide |
| innehålla |
in + hold |
contain |
| omfatta |
around + grasp |
include, comprise |
| påstå
|
on + stand |
claim, maintain |
| sammanfatta |
together + take hold of |
summarise |
| tillsätta |
to + set/put |
add |
| uppfinna |
up + find |
invent |
| utvandra |
out + wander |
emigrate |
Sometimes the same pairing of a
verb and a particle occurs in both versions, verb + particle and particle
+ verb, often with different meanings, although there is also often some
overlap:
| |
components |
meaning |
| peka på |
point + on |
point to |
| påpeka |
on + point |
indicate, point out |
Han pekade på husets tak. |
He pointed to the roof of the house. |
Allting pekar
på att det är sant.
|
All the indications are (literally: Everything indicates)
that it's true. |
| Jag ber att få
påpeka … |
I'd like to point out … |
gå fram |
go + forwards |
go forwards |
| framgå |
forwards + go |
be evident |
Gå rakt fram. |
Go straight ahead. |
| Det framgår
av brevet, att ... |
It appears from the letter that ...
|
gå in |
go + in |
go in |
| ingå |
in + go |
form part of |
Nu kan vi gå in. |
Now we can go in. |
| Det ingår
i programmet. |
It's part of the programme.
|
ställa in / inställa radion |
put + in /
in + put |
tune in the radio |
| inställa
förhandlingar |
suspend negotiations
|
lägga till |
lay + to |
add, put in / berth (ship) |
| tillägga |
to + lay |
add |
| räkna om |
count + around/again |
calculate again |
| omräkna |
around/again + count |
convert (e.g. currency) |
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In their citation form, German 'phrasal verbs' are all
particle + verb, written as a single word:
| |
components |
meaning |
| ausfüllen |
out + fill |
fill out/fill in |
| entwickeln |
dis- + wind/wrap |
develop |
(The element ent-
occurs only as a prefix, not as an independent word.)
But when they occur in other forms, two types are revealed:
separable and inseparable.
| separable: |
|
| Ich fülle
das Formular aus. |
I('ll) fill the form in/out. |
| Ich habe das Formular
ausgefüllt. |
I('ve) filled the form in/out. |
| Sie haben mich gebeten,
das Formular auszufüllen. |
They('ve) asked me to fill the form in/out. |
inseparable: |
|
| Wir entwickeln
eine neue Methode. |
We're developing a new method. |
| Wir haben eine neue
Methode entwickelt. |
We've developed a new method. |
| Sie haben uns gebeten,
eine neue Methode zu entwickeln. |
They('ve) asked us to develop a new method. |
In German, too, the principle of combining elements and
meanings is the same as in English, though the details differ.
| vorziehen |
forwards + pull |
prefer |
In other words, if you're faced with a number of alternatives,
you reach out and choose one by pulling it towards you:
this is your preferred option.
| zurückwerfen |
back + throw |
reject |
If you reject an accusation, you throw it back
to your accusers.
| |
components |
meaning |
| anspielen |
on + play |
allude |
| anziehen |
on + pull |
put on |
| aufessen |
up + eat |
eat up |
| austreiben |
out + drive |
repel |
| austrinken |
out + drink |
drink up |
| entdecken |
dis- + cover |
discover |
| entkommen |
away + come |
escape |
| übersehen |
over + see |
1 get a global view of
2 fail to see, ignore |
| übertragen |
over + carry |
transfer |
| vorwerfen |
in front + throw |
accuse |
| widerrufen |
against + call |
revoke |
| widersprechen |
against + speak |
contradict |
| widerstehen |
against + stand |
resist |
| zurückziehen
|
back + pull |
retract |
| zusammenfassen |
together + take hold of |
summarise |
There are some 'minimal pairs', with an inseparable verb, stressed
on the verb, and a separable one, stressed on the particle:
|
| übersetzen |
over + put/set |
translate |
| übersetzen |
put/set + over |
ferry across |
Ich übersetze gerade den Brief. |
I'm just translating the letter. |
| Der Fischer setzt
uns immer über. |
The fisherman always ferries us across. |
| Ich habe den Brief
übersetzt. |
I('ve) translated the letter. |
| Der Fischer hat uns
übergesetzt. |
The fisherman ferried us across. |
And similarly: |
| umschreiben |
round + write |
paraphrase |
| umschreiben |
again + write |
rewrite, transcribe |
Because English and German share the same basic 'phrasal' principle,
it has been easy for German to form new phrasal verbs modelled on
English, and incorporating loan words from English, such as: |
| einchecken |
in + check |
check in |
| einscannen |
in + scan |
scan in |
| ausflippen |
out + flip |
freak out |
top
As we have seen, many of the verbs and particles used
to form phrasal verbs are recognisably similar in English and other Germanic
languages. Slavonic languages appear very different on the surface, but
deeper down there are also considerable similarities in the combination
of particles and verbs to form composite items. The order is particle
+ verb, written as a single word.
The following examples are from Polish, but the same principles
apply, with very similar results, in other Slavonic languages, including
Russian, Ukrainian, Czech, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian and so on.
| |
components |
meaning |
dochodzi |
to + come |
reach, arrive |
| donosi |
to + carry |
inform, report |
| odbiega |
from + run |
run away, differ |
| odcina |
from + cut |
cut off |
| odkry |
from + cover |
discover |
| przerwa |
through + tear |
interrupt |
| rozbiera |
apart + take |
undress, dismantle |
rozk ada |
apart + lay |
spread out, decompose |
w czy |
in + connect |
switch on, join |
| wpywa |
in + flow |
come in (money/correspondence), influence |
| wspóczu |
together + feel |
sympathise |
wyja ni |
out + clarify |
explain |
| wywoa |
out + call |
provoke, develop (photos) |
| wzywa |
in + call |
call (in), summon |
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Among the English translations of the Swedish, German
and Polish words given above are:
| accuse |
allude |
arrive |
comprise |
| contain |
contradict |
convert |
decompose |
| develop |
differ |
discover |
dismantle |
| emigrate |
escape |
evoke |
explain |
| expose |
include |
indicate |
influence |
| inform |
interrupt |
prefer |
provide |
| provoke |
reject |
repel |
report |
| resist |
respect |
retract |
revoke |
| suggest |
sympathise |
transcribe |
transfer |
| translate |
|
|
|
|
These are verbs of Latin (or Greek – e.g. sympathise)
origin which have come into English either directly or through French,
and are also formed on the same phrasal principle, as a single word with
the order particle + verb. For example:
| |
components |
| allude |
at/to + play |
| contain |
together + hold |
| contradict |
against + say |
| differ |
away + carry |
| evoke |
out + call |
| expose |
out + put |
| influence |
in + flow |
| interrupt |
between + tear |
| prefer |
before + carry |
| provide |
before + see |
| reject |
back + throw |
| repel |
back + drive |
| report |
back + carry |
| respect |
back + see |
| retract |
back + pull |
| revoke |
back + call |
| sympathise |
together + feel |
| transcribe |
across + write |
| transfer |
across + carry |
| translate |
across + carry |
In other words, English has 'phrasal'
verbs of Latin as well as Germanic origin. And, not surprisingly, most
of the Latin-derived ones have equivalents in Romance languages, although
sometimes the meaning is different from the English one:
|
|
| French |
convertir |
| Italian |
convertire |
| French |
évoquer |
| Italian |
evocare |
| French |
exposer
(= exhibit, show) |
| Spanish |
exponer
(= exhibit, show) |
|
| French |
indiquer |
| Italian |
indicare |
| French |
préférer |
| Italian |
preferire |
| Spanish |
preferir |
| French |
respecter |
| Italian |
rispettare |
|
top
In all these languages, as well as 'phrasal' verbs, there
are also related 'phrasal' nouns, adjectives and adverbs, such as:
|
upset |
|
|
set-up |
|
|
upsetting
|
|
|
framgång |
success |
|
försedd med |
furnished/provided with |
|
ingående |
thoroughly |
|
inkomst |
income |
|
påstående |
claim (noun) |
|
uppseende |
respect (noun) |
|
utvandrare |
emigrant |
|
utveckling
|
development |
|
Anspielung |
allusion |
|
Anzug |
suit |
|
Einkommen |
income |
|
übertragbar |
transferable |
|
ununterbrochen |
uninterrupted(ly) |
|
unwiderruflich |
irrevocable/-bly |
|
Vorwurf |
accusation |
|
Widerstand |
resistance |
|
zugegeben |
admittedly |
|
zusammenfassend
|
in summary |
|
dochód |
income |
|
odci ty |
cut off |
|
odcinek |
section, episode |
|
przerwa |
break, interval |
|
rozk ad |
schedule, breakdown |
|
wpyw
|
influence |
|
exposition |
exhibition |
|
preference |
preference |
|
prévu |
intended, appropriate |
|
respectabilité
|
respectability |
| esposizione |
display, exposure |
preferito
|
favourite |
| exposición |
exhibition |
|
preferiblemente |
preferably |
|
respetuoso |
respectfully |
|
traducción |
translation |
top
The English lexical items usually referred to as 'phrasal
verbs' are part of a much broader phenomenon, namely the combining of
verb elements with a limited number of adjectival/adverbial particles
to form a vast number – an unlimited number, in principle – of verbs,
nouns, adjectives and adverbs with concrete and figurative meanings. This
process of lexical formation is equally fundamental to other Germanic
languages, as well as to Slavonic and Romance languages. English, not
surprisingly, has 'phrasal' vocabulary from Latin (and to a lesser extent
Greek) sources as well as Germanic ones.
In some cases, especially in Germanic and Romance languages,
the parallels between English and other languages are evident; in other
cases, especially in Slavonic languages, they are hidden below the surface.
Speakers of all these languages, of course, need to be on their guard
against misleading correspondences, but if they develop an awareness of
the cross-linguistic parallels they will realise that reference to their
own languages can help them unravel the mystery of English phrasal verbs
and related 'phrasal' vocabulary.
top
Phrasal verbs are often thought of as informal, colloquial,
or even a bit substandard. In the next article I will be taking a critical
look at these preconceptions.
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