Serial verb constructions and event structure representations
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Anna Riccio
Abstract
A survey of the relevant literature on serial verb constructions (SVCs) shows that the label ‘SVC’ is often used as an umbrella term that inappropriately encompasses various verb phrase sequences which are essentially different from traditional SVCs. The aim of this chapter is to highlight and discuss some syntactic and semantic characteristics of SVCs, which researchers have described over the years, within the syntax-semantics interface developed by the Role and Reference Grammar (RRG) framework (Van Valin & LaPolla 1997; Van Valin 2005). The resulting analysis demonstrates that RRG provides a useful theoretical perspective able to embody the peculiarities of traditional SVCs, by distinguishing them from other multi-verb constructions that in the relevant literature are often classified as members of the SVC category.
Abstract
A survey of the relevant literature on serial verb constructions (SVCs) shows that the label ‘SVC’ is often used as an umbrella term that inappropriately encompasses various verb phrase sequences which are essentially different from traditional SVCs. The aim of this chapter is to highlight and discuss some syntactic and semantic characteristics of SVCs, which researchers have described over the years, within the syntax-semantics interface developed by the Role and Reference Grammar (RRG) framework (Van Valin & LaPolla 1997; Van Valin 2005). The resulting analysis demonstrates that RRG provides a useful theoretical perspective able to embody the peculiarities of traditional SVCs, by distinguishing them from other multi-verb constructions that in the relevant literature are often classified as members of the SVC category.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Argument realisation in complex predicates and complex events at the syntax-semantic interface 1
- The syntactic realisation of complex events and complex predicates in situations of Irish 13
- Pleonasm in particle verb constructions in German 43
- Serial verb constructions and event structure representations 79
- Non-conventional arguments 117
- Complex predicates in Lithuanian 137
- Serial verb constructions in Estonian 169
- Complex predication in three dialects of Australia’s Western Desert 191
- Complex verbs in Bohairic Coptic 213
- The organizational structure of lexical compound verbs in Japanese 245
- Verb-verb compounds and argument structure in Tepehua 277
- Multi-verb constructions in Cheyenne 305
- Feelings as emotion, attitude, and viewpoints 347
- Nominal predication in Persian 373
- Concept structuring in Persian PP-centric complex predicates 413
- Index 449
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Argument realisation in complex predicates and complex events at the syntax-semantic interface 1
- The syntactic realisation of complex events and complex predicates in situations of Irish 13
- Pleonasm in particle verb constructions in German 43
- Serial verb constructions and event structure representations 79
- Non-conventional arguments 117
- Complex predicates in Lithuanian 137
- Serial verb constructions in Estonian 169
- Complex predication in three dialects of Australia’s Western Desert 191
- Complex verbs in Bohairic Coptic 213
- The organizational structure of lexical compound verbs in Japanese 245
- Verb-verb compounds and argument structure in Tepehua 277
- Multi-verb constructions in Cheyenne 305
- Feelings as emotion, attitude, and viewpoints 347
- Nominal predication in Persian 373
- Concept structuring in Persian PP-centric complex predicates 413
- Index 449
