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Lexical semantics of transitivizer light verbs in Telugu

Abstract

This chapter examines the kind of meanings that are uniformly present in constructions involving a certain variety of light verbs in Telugu – transitivizer light verbs. The meanings that are inalienably constant in both the verbal and the nominal complex predicates that these light verbs form are the inceptual meanings- emphasizing inception or beginning, continuation or progression, and completion or end-point. These meanings can be directly linked, and are further evidence for the structural decomposition of the verbal domain into 3 subparts or projections (First Phase Syntax, Ramchand 2008) – initP (introduces causation), procP (specifies the process), and resP (gives the result state). The semantics of this structure is what I claim gives rise to the inceptual meanings.

Abstract

This chapter examines the kind of meanings that are uniformly present in constructions involving a certain variety of light verbs in Telugu – transitivizer light verbs. The meanings that are inalienably constant in both the verbal and the nominal complex predicates that these light verbs form are the inceptual meanings- emphasizing inception or beginning, continuation or progression, and completion or end-point. These meanings can be directly linked, and are further evidence for the structural decomposition of the verbal domain into 3 subparts or projections (First Phase Syntax, Ramchand 2008) – initP (introduces causation), procP (specifies the process), and resP (gives the result state). The semantics of this structure is what I claim gives rise to the inceptual meanings.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgement vii
  4. The lexicon-syntax interface 1
  5. Property concepts and the apparent lack of adjectives in Dravidian 25
  6. Adjective-fronting as evidence for Focus and Topic within the Bangla nominal domain 53
  7. Rich results 71
  8. Lexical semantics of transitivizer light verbs in Telugu 101
  9. Ditransitive structures in Hindi/Urdu 127
  10. Is Kashmiri passive really a passive? 149
  11. Middles in the syntax 171
  12. Not so high 197
  13. Agreement and verb types in Kutchi Gujarati 217
  14. Markedness and syncretism in Kashmiri differential argument encoding 245
  15. Author index 271
  16. Subject index 275
The Lexicon–Syntax Interface
This chapter is in the book The Lexicon–Syntax Interface
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.209.05bal

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgement vii
  4. The lexicon-syntax interface 1
  5. Property concepts and the apparent lack of adjectives in Dravidian 25
  6. Adjective-fronting as evidence for Focus and Topic within the Bangla nominal domain 53
  7. Rich results 71
  8. Lexical semantics of transitivizer light verbs in Telugu 101
  9. Ditransitive structures in Hindi/Urdu 127
  10. Is Kashmiri passive really a passive? 149
  11. Middles in the syntax 171
  12. Not so high 197
  13. Agreement and verb types in Kutchi Gujarati 217
  14. Markedness and syncretism in Kashmiri differential argument encoding 245
  15. Author index 271
  16. Subject index 275
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