A cognitive approach to the allegedly left-headed prefix verbs in German:

In this article, the much discussed problem of apparently left-headed German prefix verbs (e. g. besohlen ‘sole’, erschneidern ‘obtain by tailoring’, verschimmeln ‘become mouldy’) will be addressed from a cognitive perspective. It argued that nominal bases are metonymically reconceptualized as events inside derivatives. This proposal has two advantages over previous approaches. First, it is not necessary to assign verbal or verbalizing properties prefixes be-, ent-, er-, ver-, and zer-, which have their origin in prepositions adverbs. Secondly, an overgeneration virtual verbs, i. e. no longer attested *dachen ‘roof’, †sohlen ‘sole’) avoided because metonymic hence purely conceptual verbalization process takes place context inseparable prefixes. The neither change word-class nor provide argument structures, predicted small set event schemata. function rather add semantic aspectual information. Synchronic support for presented first all comes fact conversion, historically preceded prefixation German, still active. Contrastive analyses English non-derived denominal illustrate point. Moreover, many co-exist with schottern (< Schotter ‘gravel, ballast’) vs. beschottern, entschottern, verschottern). A more general observation compatibility holistic (or ‘synoptic’) perspective conveyed depends on patterns underlying these verbs.