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Lexical agreement processes

On the construction of verbal aspect

Abstract

This paper examines the construction of verbal aspect as a sub-case of generation of verbal lexical meaning. The analysis is based on Pustejovsky’s (1995) Generative Lexicon and assumes the existence of a set of lexical agreement processes that match the lexical features of arguments (and adjuncts) with the information contained in the meta-entry of the verb in the mental lexicon. Verbal meta-entries include distinct sub-structures, among them the Event Structure, which is composed of different phases or sub-events. The materialization of some subevents or others depends on the agreement processes triggered by the arguments and adjuncts and gives rise to different aspectual meanings for the same verb.

Abstract

This paper examines the construction of verbal aspect as a sub-case of generation of verbal lexical meaning. The analysis is based on Pustejovsky’s (1995) Generative Lexicon and assumes the existence of a set of lexical agreement processes that match the lexical features of arguments (and adjuncts) with the information contained in the meta-entry of the verb in the mental lexicon. Verbal meta-entries include distinct sub-structures, among them the Event Structure, which is composed of different phases or sub-events. The materialization of some subevents or others depends on the agreement processes triggered by the arguments and adjuncts and gives rise to different aspectual meanings for the same verb.

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