The semantics of degree verbs and the telicity issue

Authors

  • Eugenio Civardi
  • Pier Marco Bertinetto Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7557/1.4.1.3398

Keywords:

aspect, Aktionsart, degree achievements, degree verbs, tense

Abstract

This paper addresses the formal representation of Degree Verbs (DVs), also known as degree
achievements. After assessing the similarities and differences of DVs vis-à-vis the accomplishment
predicates within the set of “incremental theme verbs”, a double scale system is proposed to account for the telicity calculus. It is shown that DVs should be regarded as telic even though in most cases ,they do not imply culmination, but rather the mere attainment of a “contingent” telos. This formalism can be exploited to account for related phenomena, such as the so-called “conative oblique constructions” and “non-culminating” telic predicates

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Published

2015-05-29

How to Cite

Civardi, E., & Bertinetto, P. M. (2015). The semantics of degree verbs and the telicity issue. Borealis – An International Journal of Hispanic Linguistics, 4(1), 57–77. https://doi.org/10.7557/1.4.1.3398

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2015)

Section

Articles on the monographic topic

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