The perfective/imperfective distinction
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Corien Bary
Abstract
I defend an aspectual operator approach of the perfective/imperfective distinction against a coercion approach, as, for example, proposed for French by de Swart (1998). I propose an analysis that follows de Swart on many points, but keeps temporal and aspectual contributions separate. I argue that such an analysis has a larger cross-linguistic coverage than one that combines the two in a single operator. The argumentation is based on the aspectual system of Ancient Greek, but holds for any language in which temporal and aspectual information are encoded in separate morphemes, and in which the opposition perfective/ imperfective is not restricted to the past tense. In addition, I show that a coercion analysis is problematic for French as well.
Abstract
I defend an aspectual operator approach of the perfective/imperfective distinction against a coercion approach, as, for example, proposed for French by de Swart (1998). I propose an analysis that follows de Swart on many points, but keeps temporal and aspectual contributions separate. I argue that such an analysis has a larger cross-linguistic coverage than one that combines the two in a single operator. The argumentation is based on the aspectual system of Ancient Greek, but holds for any language in which temporal and aspectual information are encoded in separate morphemes, and in which the opposition perfective/ imperfective is not restricted to the past tense. In addition, I show that a coercion analysis is problematic for French as well.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- The semantics of tense, aspect and modality in the languages of the world 1
- Incompatible categories 13
- The perfective/imperfective distinction 33
- Lexical and compositional factors in the aspectual system of Adyghe 55
- Event structure of non-culminating accomplishments 83
- The grammaticalised use of the Burmese verbs la ‘come’ and thwà ‘go’ 131
- Irrealis in Yurakaré and other languages 155
- On the selection of mood in complement clauses 179
- ‘Out of control’ marking as circumstantial modality in St’át’imcets 205
- Modal geometry 245
- Acquisitive modals 271
- Conflicting constraints on the interpretation of modal auxiliaries 303
- Modality and context dependence 317
- Verbal semantic shifts under negation, intensionality, and imperfectivity 341
- The Estonian partitive evidential 365
- Index 403
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- The semantics of tense, aspect and modality in the languages of the world 1
- Incompatible categories 13
- The perfective/imperfective distinction 33
- Lexical and compositional factors in the aspectual system of Adyghe 55
- Event structure of non-culminating accomplishments 83
- The grammaticalised use of the Burmese verbs la ‘come’ and thwà ‘go’ 131
- Irrealis in Yurakaré and other languages 155
- On the selection of mood in complement clauses 179
- ‘Out of control’ marking as circumstantial modality in St’át’imcets 205
- Modal geometry 245
- Acquisitive modals 271
- Conflicting constraints on the interpretation of modal auxiliaries 303
- Modality and context dependence 317
- Verbal semantic shifts under negation, intensionality, and imperfectivity 341
- The Estonian partitive evidential 365
- Index 403
