Conceptual Semantics: A Micro-Modular Approach

299 Pages·2018·10.336 MB·Constructional Approaches to Language 23

by  Urpo Nikanne

Constructional Approaches
to Language 23
Conceptual
Semantics
A micro-modular approach
Urpo Nikanne
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Conceptual Semantics
Constructional Approaches to Language
issn 1573-594X
The series brings together research conducted within different constructional models and
makes them available to scholars and students working in this and other related fields.
The topics range from descriptions of grammatical phenomena in different languages
to theoretical issues concerning language acquisition, language change, and language use.
The foundation of constructional research is provided by the model known as Construction
Grammar (including Frame Semantics). The book series publishes studies in which this model
is developed in new directions and extended through alternative approaches. Such approaches
include cognitive linguistics, conceptual semantics, interaction and discourse, as well as
typologically motivated alternatives, with implications both for constructional theories and for
their applications in related fields such as communication studies, computational linguistics,
AI, neurology, psychology, sociology, and anthropology.
This peer reviewed series is committed to innovative research and will include
monographs, thematic collections of articles, and introductory textbooks.
For an overview of all books published in this series, please see
http://benjamins.com/catalog/cal
Editors
Jan-Ola Östman Kyoko Ohara
University of Helsinki, Keio University, Japan
Finland
Advisory Board
Peter Auer Mirjam Fried Paul Kay
University of Freiburg, Germany Charles University, Prague, University of California, Berkeley,
Czech Republic USA
Hans C. Boas
University of Texas at Austin, USA Adele E. Goldberg Knud Lambrecht
Princeton University, USA University of Texas at Austin, USA
William Croft
University of New Mexico, USA Martin Hilpert Michael Tomasello
University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland Duke University, USA
Charles J. Fillmore†
International Computer Science Seizi Iwata Arnold M. Zwicky
Institute, Berkeley, USA Kansai University, Japan Stanford University, USA
Volume 23
Conceptual Semantics. A micro-modular approach
by Urpo Nikanne
Conceptual Semantics
A micro-modular approach
Urpo Nikanne
Åbo Akademi University
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Amsterdam / Philadelphia
TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
8
the American National Standard for Information Sciences – Permanence
of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ansi z39.48-1984.
doi 10.1075/cal.23
Cataloging-in-Publication Data available from Library of Congress:
lccn 2018017377 (print) / 2018033011 (e-book)
isbn 978 90 272 0117 1 (Hb)
isbn 978 90 272 6375 9 (e-book)
© 2018 – John Benjamins B.V.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any
other means, without written permission from the publisher.
John Benjamins Publishing Company · https://benjamins.com
This book is dedicated to Oksana Petrova, Ph.D. (1977–2015)

Table of contents
Acknowledgements xiii
Introduction xv
Part I. Foundations
chapter 1
The rules of the game  3
1.1   The goals, background assumptions and methodological guidelines  3
1.2   Conceptual semantics as a scientific approach  5
  1.2.1   Conceptual semantics in brief  5
  1.2.2   Research goals  5
  1.2.3   Background assumptions  7
  1.2.4   Methodological guidelines  11
1.3   Summary  14
chapter 2
Towards micro-modularity  17
2.1   Introduction  17
2.2   Modular organization of generative grammar  17
2.3   Conceptual Semantics architecture  20
2.4   Tiers  22
2.5   Micro-modularity  23
2.6   Combinatorial relations and the principle of asymmetry  27
2.7   Summary  31
Part II. “Semantics”
chapter 3
Argument structure and its ingredients: F-chain, argument level, thematic
features, and action tier  37
3.1   Introduction  37
3.2    From constituency to dependency and from large representations to
micro-representations  37
3.3   F-chain  44
iii Conceptual Semantics
3.4   Thematic features (th-features)  45
  3.4.1   Hierarchical organization of thematic features  45
  3.4.2   Feature sharing and M-units  57
  3.4.3   Some words on the feature [M]  60
  3.4.4   Some words on the functions that do not carry the
feature [M]  60
  3.4.5   The feature [DIM] as interface to spatial understanding  63
  3.4.6   Summary of zones, features, and thematic roles  64
  3.4.7    Comparison of the feature hierarchies to the formalism in
Jackendoff (1990)  64
3.5   Argument level  70
3.6   Action tier  71
  3.6.1   Action tier formation  71
  3.6.2   Functions AC and UN  72
  3.6.3   A word on the action tier and linking  76
  3.6.4    Undergoer as beneficiary or malefacive: Linguistic meaning and
contextual meaning  78
3.7   Summary  80
chapter 4
Temporal structure of situations  83
4.1   Introduction  83
4.2   Temporal structure as a network of tiers  84
4.3   Temporal tier and thematic features  86
  4.3.1   States  86
  4.3.2   Events  88
  4.3.3   Events and inferred states  90
4.4   Complex temporal structures in a single situation: Causation  92
4.5   Deictic RP-elements  96
4.6  Temporal structure of complex sentences: Relating the temporal structure
of two situations together  100
4.7   Summary  103
chapter 5
Semantic fields and the modal tier  105
5.1   Semantic field tier  105
  5.1.1    Semantic fields linked to the f-chain functions of zone 1 and
non-monadic functions of zone 2  105
  5.1.2   Semantic fields linked to monadic functions of zone 2  110
  5.1.3   Semantic fields linked to functions of zone 3  126
Table of contents ix
  5.1.4   The domain of the semantic fields for the f-chain  127
5.2   Modal tier  127
5.3   Summary  132
Part III. “Syntax”
chapter 6
The lexicon and argument linking  135
6.1   The lexicon  135
  6.1.1   General notes  135
  6.1.2   Lexical entry  136
  6.1.3   A word on inflection and derivation  138
  6.1.4   The semantics in the lexical entries of predicates  141
6.2    Argument linking: Linking between argument tier and syntactic
f unctions  145
  6.2.1    Argument level, lexically determined arguments and syntactic
f unctions  145
  6.2.2   Expressing an argument marked as implicit  155
    6.2.2.1   Erasing the impliciteness index  155
    6.2.2.2   Fill-in adjuncts  157
  6.2.3   Exceptional DA-selection  159
    6.2.3.1   Verbs meaning ‘get,’ ‘lose,’ and ‘have’  159
    6.2.3.2    Constructions that license exceptional links between
grammatical functions and direct arguments  160
6.3    A simple concrete example of argument linking: Possessive expressions in
English and Finnish  168
6.4   Summary  174
chapter 7
Complex sentences  177
7.1   Introduction  177
7.2   Infinite complements  178
  7.2.1   Causative matrix verbs  178
  7.2.2    Verbs of deciding, planning, refusing, starting and ending as
m atrix verbs  183
  7.2.3   Verbs of desire and belief as matrix verb  184
  7.2.4   Modal verbs as matrix verb  186
  7.2.5   Other matrix verbs  189
7.3   Subordinate finite sentences  190
  7.3.1   Subordinate conjunctions and relative pronouns in Finnish  191