Aspect and Predication The Semantics of

This book investigates the systematic correspondences between syntactic structure and semantic interpretation in the domain of predicate-argument relationships. Taking Scottish Gaelic as its empirical base, the book provides a detailed working out of a semantic system of argument classification which moves away from lexically-driven thematic roles in the traditional sense and towards a more constrained, syntactically motivated, set of primitives.

1 Introduction

1

(18)

1.1 General Aims and Concerns

1

(2)

1.2 Theories of Aspectual Classes

3

(2)

1.3 Thematic Relations and Lexical Semantics

5

(3)

1.4 The Davidsonian Traditon: Event Semantics

8

(3)

1.5 Aspect and Argument Interpretation

11

(2)

1.6 Syntactic Background and Assumptions

13

(2)

1.7 Scope and Outline of Present Work

15

(4)

2 Background to Scottish Gaelic

19

(18)

2.1 Basic Phrase Structure

19

(3)

2.2 The Verbal Paradigm

22

(7)

2.3 The Nominal Paradigm

29

(8)

2.3.1 Case-marking

29

(2)

2.3.2 The Verbal Noun

31

(2)

2.3.3 Conjugated Prepositions

33

(4)

3 Aspectual Constructions in Scottish Gaelic

37

(38)

3.1 Perfective vs. Imperfective

38

(9)

3.2 Two Object Positions

47

(19)

3.2.1 Evidence for Distinct Object Positions

54

(5)

3.2.2 Evidence for an Aspectual Projection

59

(7)

3.3 Aspectual Semantics

66

(9)

3.3.1 Krifka's (1992) Aspectual Framework

67

(2)

3.3.2 Interpreting the Aspectual Head

69

(6)

4 Nominal Interpretation and Case-marking

75

(40)

4.1 Relating Nominals and Events in Krifka (1989, 1992)

75

(9)

4.1.1 Interpreting the Object Position

78

(6)

4.2 Case-marking and Interpretation

84

(8)

4.3 Type Shifting and the Semantics of Weak Case

92

(17)

4.3.1 Partee (1986) and English Nominals

92

(5)

4.3.2 Scottish Gaelic

97

(3)

4.3.3 Bengali

100

(9)

4.4 Correlating Object Interpretation with Type The-ory

109

(6)

5 Aspectual Arguments: The Internal Roles

115

(30)

5.1 Expanding the Krifka (1989, 1992) System

115

(18)

5.1.1 Verbs of Process

116

(4)

5.1.2 Single Transition Verbs

120

(3)

5.1.3 Stative Verbs

123

(3)

5.1.4 An Aspectual Theory of Role Types

126

(5)

5.1.5 Digression on Iterativity

131

(2)

5.2 Representing the SGaelic Data

133

(12)

5.2.1 Sentences in 'air'

133

(5)

5.2.2 Sentences in 'ag'

138

(3)

5.2.3 Main verbs

141

(4)

6 Aspect and the Verbal Noun

145

(32)

6.1 The Syntactic Role of AspP

146

(13)

6.1.1 Asp and Argument Structure

148

(3)

6.1.2 AspP and the Event Variable

151

(2)

6.1.3 A Modular Conception of Verbal Proper-ties

153

(6)

6.2 Features and Parametric Variation

159

(10)

6.2.1 Czech

162

(2)

6.2.2 Polish

164

(1)

6.2.3 English

165

(4)

6.3 Whither the Lexicon

169

(8)

7 The External Argument

177

(44)

7.1 Aspectual and non-Aspectual Subjects

177

(14)

7.1.1 The General External Aspectual Role

177

(10)

7.1.2 The Stative Subject

187

(4)

7.2 Two Syntactic Subject Positions

22

(191)

7.2.1 The Interpretation of Tense

198

(2)

7.2.2 Habituals and the Interpretation of Nominals

200

(4)

7.2.3 Syntactic Complementation

204

(4)

7.2.4 Two Tiers of Predication

208

(5)

8 Conclusion

213

(8)

A Appendix

221

(18)

A.1 Nominal and Event Reference in Krifka (1989, 1992)

221

(5)

A.2 Extending the System to Other Verb Types

226

(13)

A.2.1 Verbs of Motion

226

(8)

A.2.2 Change of State Verbs

234

(2)

A.2.3 Achievement Verbs

236

(3)

References

239

(8)

Index

247

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Aspect and Predication The Semantics of Argument Structure

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