Atelicity and Measure Phrases:
Licensing Measure Phrase Modification Across AP, PP, and VP
Marcin Morzycki
May 19, 2006
Michigan State University
This talk relates two issues normally
considered separately: the licensing conditions on AP- and
PP-modifying measure phrases (such as 'six feet' in 'six
feet above the barn') and the atelicity restriction imposed by
certain temporal adverbials. These questions are given a
common answer: both classes of expressions are subject to
an independently- motivated cross-categorial monotonicity
condition on measure-phrase modification, the Modification
Condition (Zwarts and Winter 2000, Winter 2001, 2004) of
Vector Space Semantics. To make this connection, the vector
space approach is extended to temporal semantics and
independent evidence is marshaled for assimilating some
temporal adverbials to measure phrases. I will also pursue
a cross-categorial syntax and semantics for measure-phrase
modification that may blunt certain arguments in favor of
the ontological enrichments advocated in Vector Space
Semantics.
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