3.1.2.1.2. Manual markers in adversative coordination

Adversative coordination, differently from the other two types of coordination, is expressed mainly through manual markers. The sign used is but, represented below.  

               

          but

 

The sign but can be used in the different types of adversative coordination, as in (a), (b) and (c) below,  exemplifying contrastive, corrective and counterexpectational adversative coordination, respectively.

                                                                  ht-right re, sq                               ht-left, bl-left ht-right, bl-left

a) giorgia cake chocolate very good but  [fruit cl (5): ‘fruits’+++ burn][ipsi].

               ‘Giorgia baked a very good chocolate cake, but burnt a fruit cake.’ 

(© Alexandra Navarrete-González & Giorgia Zorzi 2019. Reprinted with permission from Navarrete-González & Zorzi, 2019)

                                                 re    hs   re, ht-b

                                                 ht-right                  ht-right 

b) jordi beer cl: ‘drink’ not  but sangria yes.

                ‘Jordi did not drink beer, but sangria.’

(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 139)

 

 

 

                                                                                               re

                                                                                            bl-f

c) jordi very-tall but basketball play very-bad.

               ‘Jordi is very tall, but he is very bad at playing basketball.’

(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 107)

 

As we can see in (b), in corrective adversative coordination also the sign yes is often found to contrast with the negative polarity of the first conjunct.