Semelfactive

Abstract: In this paper, I propose an analysis of Persian complex predicates, based on the First Phase Verbal syntax developed by Ramchand (2008). I suggest that the light verbs lexicalize the subevent heads into which the verbal phrase is decomposed, while the preverbal element occupies the Rheme position and semantically unifies with the light verb to build one joint predication. Further, I propose a feature specification for some of the most productive light verbs. I argue that the light verb is responsible for the argument structure of the entire predicate (in line with Megerdoomian 2002b, Folli et al. 2005), while the aspectual properties of the complex predicate depend on the interaction between the preverb and the light verb.

Abstract: Event number is an important grammatical category in Konso in addition to nominal number. Event number has two main values, singular and plural, which can be expressed by two distinct verbal morphological processes, punctual and pluractional. The interpretation of a sentence in terms of event number is arrived at through an intricate interplay of lexical meaning, the core meaning of the number marking morphology and the separate system of aspect. Each verb has its intrinsic values for event number associated with its systematic lexical distinctions in terms of event number. Event number includes both event internal and event external situations. The meaning of the markers of singular and plural event number has a primary and a secondary value. There are several situations in which the primary meaning is excluded and the secondary meaning is the only possible interpretation. The pluractional is fully productive while the punctual is not productive and has interesting structural morphological restrictions.

Abstract: This paper argues that semelfactive and degree achievement verbs are morphosyntactically distinct, despite the fact that the morphemes they are made of are often syncretic even in languages with synthetic verb morphology like Czech or Polish. We use the mechanisms of Nanosyntax, a theory of the architecture of grammar in which the lexicon stores entire syntactic subtrees, to show that there is a structural containment between semelfactives and degree achievements such that semelfactives include more syntactic structure than degree achievements. In this respect, the relative structure of these two verb classes contributes to Bobaljik’s (2012) general claim that syncretism anchors structural containment as well as to the ongoing discussion about the form of spell out in syntax. The resulting picture supports the view whereby the semantics of lexical items is determined by their fine-grained internal syntax.

Abstract: We know relatively little about the relationship between verbs with the suffix -nu-, such as крикнуть ‘shout once’, and verbs with the prefix s-, such as сглупить ‘do something stupid’ and сходить ‘walk someplace and back once’ In her Cluster Model of Russian aspect, Janda (2007) claims that there is a single group of such Perfectives, namely the Single Act Perfectives In order to evaluate this claim, we have gathered a database that includes both types of Single Act Perfectives and undertaken a statistical analysis On the basis of this analysis we show that the distribution of the -nu- and s- morphemes is very much dependent on the morphological class of the verb In addition we have traced the historical development of the meaning of semelfactivity for the prefix s- and our study shows that this development comports well with the development of actional meanings for prefixes in Russian in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries This article presents new data concerning semelfactive Perfectives in Russian, along with an analysis of this data The article raises questions about the historical development of aspect in Russian and about allomorphy in general