Semantics of verbs denoting prototypic rotation in Norwegian

Abstract

Rotation verbs in the Norwegian language are represented by 28 lexemes, including peripheral ones. They can be divided into several groups depending on the type of movement described. This article considers the semantics of seven Norwegian verbs denoting prototypical rotation, that is, more or less regular, uniform circular movement around a certain fairly defined center (external or internal axis): dreie ‘rotate’, rotere ‘rotate’ (about mechanical rotation), kretse ‘circle’ (on or above the surface), sirkle ‘circle’, sirkulere ‘circulate’, snurre ‘twirl’ (fast rotation around its axis), spinne ‘spin’. In addition to the main meaning, the main figurative uses are provided for each verb. Examples selected on the Internet and in the Norwegian Web 2015 corpus (Bokmål) demonstrate not only the semantics of these verbs, but also their compatibility and stylistic characteristics. An analysis of the examples demonstrates that the main and most universal verbs of this group include the verbs dreie seg, rotere, and kretse, while the rest are narrower in meaning and less frequent. This article is the first in a series describing the semantics of rotation verbs in Norwegian.