Marginal constructions in Georgian: an analysis under the framework of Cognitive Linguistics

Different groups of verbs, that we call here marginal constructions, represent in Georgian a limited number of verbs that have structural peculiarities that deviate in one way or another, from the dominant pattern represented by major verb classes in which they are traditionally classified, since they are at the threshold between major morphosyntactic constructions, diachronically and synchronically. It is argued that, compared to the largest and most productive verb classes, these smaller groups of verbs also reveal quite specific tendencies within the language, particularly by showing different meaning processes. Therefore, based on the theoretical framework known by the broad term Cognitive Linguistics, we sought to understand and explain by providing the necessary relations between those constructions that point to less and more productive and prototypical tendencies - how formal changes seen in these verb groups in particular, e.g. changes in argument structure, increase or deletion of arguments, shifting in case marking of arguments etc., reflect and code distinct ways and processes of conceptualization, being able, therefore, to caracterize the nature of these different meanings. (AU)