Cultural Studies paper by Sólyom, Erika
Coverbs at Linguistic and Cultural Crossroads: Neologisms and the ‘Unexpected’ Use of the Coverb ‘be-‘ in Contemporary Hungarian Discourse (Accepted)
Type of Abstract (select):Abstract (max. 250 words):
Coverbs are verbal prefixes that are attached to the beginning of verbs to modify their meaning. The most common coverbs expressing motion in Hungarian are: be-, ki-, le-, fel-, ide- and oda-. Other coverbs such as meg- and el- are used to refine the meaning of a verb to express the completion or intended completion of a verb’s action. (Rounds and Sólyom, 2011). Teaching the use of coverbs is one of the most difficult topics and pose challenges for both teachers and students of Hungarian as a Foreign Language. The topic is particularly complex as coverbs undergo constant change. One of the most intriguing questions in linguistics nowadays is the functional examination of the be- coverb, with special emphasis on the new neologisms that have emerged for the past 10-15 years (Varga 2012 and Ladányi 2007). In present paper, the author examines neologisms (such as besír, beröhög, bealszik, beelőz, etc.), mainly expanding on the studies of Kiefer (1992), Nádasdy (2002), Sólyom (2012, 2014) and Szili (2015). Creative uses of be- will be presented from everyday speech, youth discourse, online data, media as well as articles on politics. (e.g. Rogán bekóstolta Goodfriendet. Or: Férje nőügyeivel támadta be Clintont Trump.) The author will point out that in the neologisms of the be- coverb, the lexical aspect plays and important role. Based on her research, the author will share her findings and offer a new discovery in the field: an insofar unknown and ‘unexpected’ use of the be- coverb in present-day Hungarian discourse.
Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Erika Sólyom is a sociolinguist, a foreign language instructor (ESL, HFL) and a writer. She earned her M.A. and M.Phil. in Linguistics at NYU. In addition to her academic training, she worked for various human rights, cultural and educational institutions in Budapest and New York. She has 25 years teaching experience at every level of instruction, from elementary to university level. Erika Sólyom is a co-author with Carol H. Rounds of the best-selling Hungarian textbook in Routledge`s well-known language series Colloquial Hungarian. In 2020, her new book Szenegálom - a unique travel diary from Dakar - was published by Napkút.