Complementation or competition between syntax and morphology? The case of Dutch binominal constructions expressing positive evaluation

The Dutch een-schat van-een-kind-construction (lit. ‘a treasure of a child’; ‘a sweet child’) has captured the attention of various linguists for decades (e.g., Paardekooper 1956, Everaert 1992, Foolen 2004, Verhagen 2005). Although een schat van een kind is a common expression in Dutch, recent examples such as dat monster van een virus ‘that monster of a virus’ show the existence of a semi-schematic pattern [Det N1 van (een) N2] that is subject to considerable variation. The central aims of this study are the following: i. To re-examine this Expressive Binominal Construction (EBC)... Mehr ...