John Benjamins Publishing Company
On the edge
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Abstract
In this paper, we examine the components, the structure and the formation process of derived categories, by analyzing the properties of nouns derived from adjectives. We will discuss the event structure underlying them and argue that, although it is commonly assumed that deadjectival nouns denote qualities (wisdom, beauty) or states (sadness, perplexity), there is a group of deadjectival nominalizations (imprudence, cruelty) that refer to occurrences of events (Beauseroy 2009). We show that such occurrential nominalizations are possible only when derived from evaluative adjectives. This is due, we argue, to the fact that such adjectives can be predicated of events in addition to the sentient individual (Stowell 1991). Finally, we show that the existence of a structure of origin with the relevant properties does not guarantee the existence of the derived category, leaving what seem to be gaps in the universe of possible derivations.
Abstract
In this paper, we examine the components, the structure and the formation process of derived categories, by analyzing the properties of nouns derived from adjectives. We will discuss the event structure underlying them and argue that, although it is commonly assumed that deadjectival nouns denote qualities (wisdom, beauty) or states (sadness, perplexity), there is a group of deadjectival nominalizations (imprudence, cruelty) that refer to occurrences of events (Beauseroy 2009). We show that such occurrential nominalizations are possible only when derived from evaluative adjectives. This is due, we argue, to the fact that such adjectives can be predicated of events in addition to the sentient individual (Stowell 1991). Finally, we show that the existence of a structure of origin with the relevant properties does not guarantee the existence of the derived category, leaving what seem to be gaps in the universe of possible derivations.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
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Experimental approaches
- The acquisition of clitics in L2 Spanish 3
- Acquiring VP-ellipsis in Brazilian Portuguese 17
- Code switching in the determiner phrase 29
- How many “grammars” per “language”? 43
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Phonology
- Nasal vowels are not [+NASAL] oral vowels 63
- Labialization and palatalization in Judeo-Spanish phonology 77
- Revisiting /ʁ/-assimilation through schwa 99
- Harmonic serialism and syncope and stress shift in Latin 119
- The adaptation of /h/ in Old French loanwords 133
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Diachronic syntax
- On the Old French subjunctive 147
- On the emergence of two classes of clitic clusters in Italo-Romance 171
- The structure of complementizerless clauses in Classical Portuguese 185
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Syntax
- Bare PPs and the syntax-semantics interface 201
- On the structure of bare nominals in Brazilian Portuguese 215
- Gender features on n & the root 229
- Adjectivization of participles in Romance 245
- On the edge 261
- A case of multiple agree 275
- Measure phrases within the nominal domain in Spanish 289
- Index of subjects and terms 303
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
-
Experimental approaches
- The acquisition of clitics in L2 Spanish 3
- Acquiring VP-ellipsis in Brazilian Portuguese 17
- Code switching in the determiner phrase 29
- How many “grammars” per “language”? 43
-
Phonology
- Nasal vowels are not [+NASAL] oral vowels 63
- Labialization and palatalization in Judeo-Spanish phonology 77
- Revisiting /ʁ/-assimilation through schwa 99
- Harmonic serialism and syncope and stress shift in Latin 119
- The adaptation of /h/ in Old French loanwords 133
-
Diachronic syntax
- On the Old French subjunctive 147
- On the emergence of two classes of clitic clusters in Italo-Romance 171
- The structure of complementizerless clauses in Classical Portuguese 185
-
Syntax
- Bare PPs and the syntax-semantics interface 201
- On the structure of bare nominals in Brazilian Portuguese 215
- Gender features on n & the root 229
- Adjectivization of participles in Romance 245
- On the edge 261
- A case of multiple agree 275
- Measure phrases within the nominal domain in Spanish 289
- Index of subjects and terms 303
