Full Description
This volume offers a variety of perspectives on two of the main topics situated at the crossroads between lexical semantics and syntax, namely: (a) aspect and its correspondence with syntactic structure; and (b) the delimitation of syntactic structures from verb classes. Almost from Aristotle's Metaphysics, it has been assumed that verbs invoke a mental image about the way in which eventualities are distributed over time. When it comes to determining time schemata, the lexical class to which the verb belongs represents a first step. Speaking about verb classes does not exclusively mean a semantic similarity; rather, verb classes exhibit a bundle of common features and thus show a set of recursive behavior patterns. Beyond the meaning of the verb, both semantic and syntactic factors, together with pragmatic ones, play a decisive role when establishing the aspectual classification of an eventuality. The contributions collected in this book approach the aforementioned lines, either analyzing the relationships between aspect and syntactic structure or traversing the path from a verb class to its syntactic manifestation. Some of them stress diachronic filiations, while others include processes of word formation in the debate; some of them focus on certain classes, such as movement verbs or psychological verbs, while others examine specific constructions. A number of chapters also discuss relevant theoretical issues concerning the analysis of aspect. In sum, the kaleidoscopic view provided by this book allows the reader to delve deeper into one of the most controversial - as well as exciting - topics within current linguistics.
Contents
1. Preface (by Barrajon Lopez, Elisa); 2. List of contributors; 3. The conceptualization of change of state in verbs coming from gentilicios (by Barrajon Lopez, Elisa); 4. Event structure and lexical semantics in a scalar approach to actionality (by Bathiukova, Olga); 5. Lexical synonymy and argumental structure: Similarities and divergences in the syntactic-semantic schemes of two cognitive Spanish verbs:recordar and acordar(se) (by Berna Sicilia, Celia); 6. Inner and outer prepositions with Spanish verbs of vertical movement (by Bosque Munoz, Ignacio); 7. Argumental comitative and reciprocity in Spanish (by Candalija Reina, Jose Antonio); 8. Causativity and psychological verbs in Spanish (by Cifuentes Honrubia, Jose Luis); 9. Lexical agreement processes: On the construction of verbal aspect (by De Miguel Aparicio, Elena); 10. Variable aspectual coercion in Spanish fictive motion expressions (by Delbecque, Nicole); 11. Agent control over non culminating events (by Demirdache, Hamida); 12. The pseudo-copulative verbs verse and sentirse: diachronic and conceptual aspects (by Fernandez Jaen, Jorge); 13. On events that express properties (by Fernandez Leborans, Maria Jesus); 14. Some reflections on verbs with clitic increase: Verbs of motion (by Garcia Fernandez, Luis); 15. Transitivity and verb classes (by Garcia-Miguel, Jose Maria); 16. Romance object-experiencer verbs: From aktionsart to activity hierarchy (by Kailuweit, Rolf); 17. Aspectual approach to causative-resultative denominal verbs (by Lavale-Ortiz, Ruth-Maria); 18. Denominal parasynthesis and inchoativity from both lexical-semantic and aspectual points of view (by Merchan Aravid, Nuria); 19. Diachronic prototypicity and stativity in Spanish physical affection verbs (by Provencio Garrigos, Herminia); 20. Negative imperatives with Spanish copulas ser y estar (by Rodriguez Rosique, Susana); 21. Index
