Change-of-State Verbs: Implications for Theories of Argument Projection

Abstract

Abstract Verbs showing multiple argument projection options, often with concomitant shifts in aspectual classification or assignment of the ‘aspectual’ roles measure or incremental theme, are ubiquitous. Their pervasiveness has given rise to two hypotheses concerning argument realization: argument expression is not lexically determined and only aspectual notions determine argument expression. This chapter argues against both hypotheses through an examination of change of state verbs. It shows that the argument expression possibilities of these verbs are determined by a nonaspectual, lexicalized property – change of state – and cannot be handled by purely aspectual nonlexical theories of argument projection. Therefore, the meaning that is lexicalized in a verb determines its grammatical and interpretive properties to a large degree, contrary to the hypothesis that argument expression is not lexically determined. Furthermore, these lexical properties do not correspond to well-known aspectual notions, contrary to the hypothesis that only aspectual notions are relevant to argument expression.