The Syntactic Nature of Inner Aspect: A minimalist perspective (Linguistik Aktuell / Linguistics Today) - Hardcover

Jonathan E. MacDonald

9789027255167: The Syntactic Nature of Inner Aspect: A minimalist perspective (Linguistik Aktuell / Linguistics Today)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 9027255164 ISBN 13: 9789027255167

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2008

This book explores the syntactic nature of inner aspect from a minimalist perspective. It begins with the new observation that there are two independent properties at play in English inner aspect: the object-to-event mapping and event structure. From a discussion of English statives and Russian, it is concluded that the former property is variant and the latter universal; a minimalist conception of language variation arises naturally in this context. Additionally, an exploration of a lexical derivational approach to achievements leads to the expectation that there are no accomplishments in the lexicon. A detailed look at idioms suggests that this expectation is met. These results support the division of labor between an operative lexicon and narrow syntax in aspectual composition; this naturally poses a problem for (neo-)constructional approaches to inner aspect. Finally, one conclusion reached about the syntactic nature of inner aspect regards the object-to-event mapping: it is a purely syntactic phenomenon.

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