Gordana Dimković-Telebaković University of Belgrade “The semantics and pragmatics of motion verbs in air traffic English and general English.”
ABSTRACT
The aim of this paper is to determine the meanings of 54 motion verbs as they are used in air traffic and general English. Employing a componential method, we discover that ten distinctive features are necessary and sufficient to identifying the internal structure of the verbs under consideration. Based on these findings, we contrast the uses of ten motion verbs in the registers of air traffic and everyday English to establish semantic relations. Five semantic relations are discussed. Examples provide evidence of semantic differences in subject matter, which show that there are sometimes pragmatic differences also, and that agency causes changes in verbal meaning in the two contexts. The issues examined in this study may be of substantial interest to ESP practitioners, to aeronautical and aviation students, and to pilots and air traffic controllers.