Event structure / Jan van Voorst.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Van Voorst, Jan.

Series:

Amsterdam studies in the theory and history of linguistic science. Current issues in linguistic theory ; Series IV, v. 59.

Amsterdam studies in the theory and history of linguistic science. Series IV, Current issues in linguistic theory ; v. 59

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Grammar, Comparative and general--Syntax.

Grammar, Comparative and general.

Grammar, Comparative and general--Verb.

Semantics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (195 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Amsterdam ; Philadelphia : J. Benjamins, 1988.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This study establishes a relation between the semantics of the subject and the direct object-NP and aspect. The notion of event is central. Events have a beginning and an end. This means in temporal terms that events have a point in time at which they begin and a point in time at which they end. However, events are not defined in temporal terms but in spatial terms. This means that they are defined in terms of the entity that can be used to identify their beginning and the entity that can be used to identify their end. These two entitites are denoted by the subject and the direct object-NP respectively. The name of the event is provided by the verb. It is these three notions that make up Event Structure: the entity denoting the beginning, i.e. the object of origin; the entity denoting the end, i.e. the object of termination; and the event itself. The three primitives are independently motivated in the domain of tense interpretations of sentences. Their presence or absence affects these interpretations in a systematic way.

Contents:

EVENT STRUCTURE

Editorial page

Title page

Copyright page

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

Table of contents

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Outline

1.2 Model of Grammar

1.3 Psychological Relevance

1.4 Contents

NOTES

CHAPTER II. EVENT STRUCTURE

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Stativity and the Progressive

2.3 Event Structure

2.4 Predecessors

2.5 The Nature of the Event in Event Structure

CHAPTER III. THE SEMANTICS OF THE SUBJECT

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Intransitive Constructions

3.3 Transitive Constructions

3.4 Consequences

CHAPTER IV. UNACCUSATIVITY

4.1 Introduction

4.2 The Syntactic and Morphological Motivation for Unaccusativity

4.3 Semantic Arguments for Unaccusativity

4.4 Resultatives

4.5 Accomplishment Verbs

4.6 Conclusion

4.7 One Consequence

CHAPTER V. PASSIVIZATION AND REFLEXIVIZATION

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Passive

5.2.1 Impersonal Passive

5.2.2 Personal Passive

5.2.3 Definitions of Stativity

5.3 An Aspectual Analysis of the French Reflexive

5.3.1 Introduction

5.3.2 An Aspectual Interpretation of the Reflexive

5.3.3 Conclusion

CHAPTER VI. INVOLVEMENT

6.1 Introduction

6.2 The Semantics of Involvement

6.3 Unergative Intransitivization

6.4 Unaccusative Intransitivization

6.5 Achievement Verbs

6.6 Resultatives

6.7 The Affected Agent

CHAPTER VII. TENSE

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Time Adverbs

7.3 Tense and Aspect

7.4 Some Extensions

7.5 The French Reflexive

CHAPTER VIII. CONCLUDING REMARKS

REFERENCES

INDEX

The series CURRENT ISSUES IN LINGUISTIC THEORY (CILT) series.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-283-04729-2

9786613047298

90-272-8618-3

OCLC:

709605929