The interactions between construction meaning and lexical meaning

Abstract

This paper examines the relationships among lexical classes, argument structures, and syntactic constructions. Focusing on the ditransitive construction in English, Chinese, and Spanish, the A. shows that the interpretation of indirect object of certain classes of verbs, such as transference verbs and state-changing verbs, is goal in English, source in Chinese, and either goal or source in Spanish. In addition, creation verbs, but not consuming verbs, are permitted in the English ditransitive construction. In contrast, consuming verbs, but not creation verbs, are permitted in the Chinese ditransitive construction. Spanish allows both classes. The A. attributes the contrast to the interactions between lexical meaning and construction meaning. In particular, the A. argues that the default meaning of the ditransitive construction is transference to the referent of the indirect object in English, transference from the referent of the indirect object in Chinese, and simply transference, without a specification for direction, in Spanish. Creation verbs, for example, are compatible with the transference-to meaning and are thus acceptable in the English but not the Chinese ditransitive construction, consuming verbs are compatible with the transference-from meaning and are thus allowed in the Chinese but not the English ditransitive construction