A Lexical Constructional Approach to the Locative Alternation : with Special Reference to English and Japanese
| Project/Area Number |
15520315
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
English linguistics
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| Research Institution | Osaka City University |
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Principal Investigator |
IWATA Seizi Osaka City University, Graduate School of Literature and Human Sciences, Associate Professor, 大学院・文学研究科, 助教授 (50232682)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2005
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2005)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥2,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
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| Keywords | locative alternation / argument structure / lexical constructional approach / alternation phenomena / usage-based model / construction grammar |
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| Research Abstract |
Pinker (1989) characterizes the two variants of the locative alternation (spray paint onto the wall/spray the wall with paint) as denoting change of location and change of state, respectively. While this characterization has been widely accepted in the literature, it has several problems : (1) The notion of change of state is not the same as that commonly understood ; (2) Some location-as-object variants do not conform to the template of change of state.
The lexical constructional analysis proposed in this study overcomes these difficulties. The proposed analysis holds verb-class-specific constructions, rather than abstract constructions as in Goldberg (1995), to be responsible for the alternation. Now the locative alternation stems from the fact that a give verb can instantiate both ‘put'-class-specific construction and ‘cover/fill'-class-specific construction. Accordingly, the location-as-object variant is shown to be quite separate from change of state verbs like break. Also, the apparently odd behaviors of the location-as-object variant is attributable to it being sanctioned by ‘wipe'-class-specific construction.
The locative alternation in Japanese can be accounted for in essentially the same way. The seeming differences from the English locative alternation can be coherently accounted for by taking a close look at individual cases.
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Report
(4 results)
Research Products
(7 results)
