The re-examination of the morpho·syntactic constraints related to the semantic characteristics of adjectives

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the morphological and syntactic constraints which are related to the property and states of adjectives. Some verbs exhibit the multivalence of states, furthermore, simple states like adjectives and some adjectives exhibit the multivalence of static verb. However, the adjectives exhibit the multivalence of states optionally and finitely. Most of all, the adjectives have the gradability intrinsically, while the verbs have the gradability which depends on the telicity of internal argument. Also, the part of speech is fixed by adjective in the verb-adjective conversions exhibiting the gradability. In addition, the common meaning of ‘-i’ derivational adverbs of adjectives, ‘gradability’ reflects the properties of adjectives. Consequently, the semantic characteristics of adjectives, [property] and [states], are elaborated such as followings, in the adjectives, the [properties(gradability)] are evaluatively described in the viewpoint of speaker and the [states] are basically described, but the multivalence of states like static verb are described optionally and finitely.