Internal & External Possessors
Term Paper
Internal & External Possessors
A Contrastive Analysis of Humorous Aspects in English and German
Module: Sprachwissenschaftliche Methoden und Englischunterricht
Course: English in Contrast Mondays, 2 to 4 p.m.
Lecturer: Dr. George Smith
submitted by Nadja Degen born 22 November 1988 major Englisch, MA of Ed. minor Latein, MA of Ed.
Content
1. Introduction 2
2. Hypothesis 3
3. Internal & external possessor constructions in English and German 4
4. The incongruity theory 5
5. Humor and translation 6
6. Verbal humor in English possessor constructions 7 6.1 Verbal humor in internal possessor constructions I 7 6.2 Verbal humor in internal possessor constructions II 9
7. Verbal humor in German possessor constructions 11 7.1 Verbal humor and idiomatic expressions 11 7.2 Verbal humor and the animacy hierarchy 13
8. Conclusion 15
9. Bibliography 16
1. Introduction
Speaking a language is an activity governed by rules and conventions. Many of these are such that they may be violated to a certain degree, often with amusing results. Therefore, studying the resulting incongruities leads to an identification of rules and conventions the existence or influence of which may have passed unnoticed but for attention to their violation (Goldstein 1).
Verbal humor, that is humor “expressed by means of a linguistic system” (Attardo 96), employs diverse strategies. One strategy, which is frequently applied as the above quotation admits, is the violation of linguistic rules as a trigger for humorous aspects. The resulting incongruities emphasize the regulatory framework of the respective language. An analysis of linguistic structures underlying verbal humor can, therefore, deliver deep insights into the workings of a language. This relation between linguistic correctness and humor has further
Internal & External Possessors
A Contrastive Analysis of Humorous Aspects in English and German
Module: Sprachwissenschaftliche Methoden und Englischunterricht
Course: English in Contrast Mondays, 2 to 4 p.m.
Lecturer: Dr. George Smith
submitted by Nadja Degen born 22 November 1988 major Englisch, MA of Ed. minor Latein, MA of Ed.
Content
1. Introduction 2
2. Hypothesis 3
3. Internal & external possessor constructions in English and German 4
4. The incongruity theory 5
5. Humor and translation 6
6. Verbal humor in English possessor constructions 7 6.1 Verbal humor in internal possessor constructions I 7 6.2 Verbal humor in internal possessor constructions II 9
7. Verbal humor in German possessor constructions 11 7.1 Verbal humor and idiomatic expressions 11 7.2 Verbal humor and the animacy hierarchy 13
8. Conclusion 15
9. Bibliography 16
1. Introduction
Speaking a language is an activity governed by rules and conventions. Many of these are such that they may be violated to a certain degree, often with amusing results. Therefore, studying the resulting incongruities leads to an identification of rules and conventions the existence or influence of which may have passed unnoticed but for attention to their violation (Goldstein 1).
Verbal humor, that is humor “expressed by means of a linguistic system” (Attardo 96), employs diverse strategies. One strategy, which is frequently applied as the above quotation admits, is the violation of linguistic rules as a trigger for humorous aspects. The resulting incongruities emphasize the regulatory framework of the respective language. An analysis of linguistic structures underlying verbal humor can, therefore, deliver deep insights into the workings of a language. This relation between linguistic correctness and humor has further