Ad hoc properties and locations in Maltese

This paper aims to show that the four-way BE-system of Maltese can best be accommodated in a theory of non-verbal predication that builds on alternative states, without making any reference to the Davidsonian spatio-temporal event variable. The existing theories of non-verbal predicates put the bur...

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Main Author: Gréte Dalmi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin 2015-12-01
Series:LingBaW
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Online Access:https://czasopisma.kul.pl/index.php/LingBaW/article/view/5624
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author Gréte Dalmi
author_facet Gréte Dalmi
author_sort Gréte Dalmi
collection DOAJ
description This paper aims to show that the four-way BE-system of Maltese can best be accommodated in a theory of non-verbal predication that builds on alternative states, without making any reference to the Davidsonian spatio-temporal event variable. The existing theories of non-verbal predicates put the burden of explaining the difference between the ad hoc vs. habitual interpretations either solely on the non-verbal predicate, by postulating an event variable in their lexical layer (see Kratzer 1995; Adger and Ramchand 2003; Magri 2009; Roy 2013), or solely on the copular or non-copular primary predicate, which contains an aspectual operator or an incorporated abstract preposition, responsible for such interpretive differences (Schmitt 2005, Schmitt and Miller 2007, Gallego and Uriagereka 2009, 2011, Marín 2010, Camacho 2012). The present proposal combines Maienborn’s (2003, 2005a,b, 2011) discourse-semantic theory of copular sentences with Richardson’s (2001, 2007) analysis of non-verbal adjunct predicates in Russian, based on alternative states. Under this combined account, variation between the ad hoc vs. habitual interpretations of non-verbal predicates is derived from the presence or absence of a modal OPalt operator that can bind the temporal variable of non-verbal predicates in accessible worlds, in the sense of Kratzer (1991). In the absence of this operator, the temporal variable is bound by the T0 head in the standard way. The proposal extends to non-verbal predicates in copular sentences as well as to argument and adjunct non-verbal predicates in non-copular sentences.
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spelling doaj-art-c3455a291e9140a78b5dc48a9ba45a1e2025-01-21T05:09:19ZengThe John Paul II Catholic University of LublinLingBaW2450-51882015-12-011110.31743/lingbaw.5624Ad hoc properties and locations in MalteseGréte Dalmi0Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce This paper aims to show that the four-way BE-system of Maltese can best be accommodated in a theory of non-verbal predication that builds on alternative states, without making any reference to the Davidsonian spatio-temporal event variable. The existing theories of non-verbal predicates put the burden of explaining the difference between the ad hoc vs. habitual interpretations either solely on the non-verbal predicate, by postulating an event variable in their lexical layer (see Kratzer 1995; Adger and Ramchand 2003; Magri 2009; Roy 2013), or solely on the copular or non-copular primary predicate, which contains an aspectual operator or an incorporated abstract preposition, responsible for such interpretive differences (Schmitt 2005, Schmitt and Miller 2007, Gallego and Uriagereka 2009, 2011, Marín 2010, Camacho 2012). The present proposal combines Maienborn’s (2003, 2005a,b, 2011) discourse-semantic theory of copular sentences with Richardson’s (2001, 2007) analysis of non-verbal adjunct predicates in Russian, based on alternative states. Under this combined account, variation between the ad hoc vs. habitual interpretations of non-verbal predicates is derived from the presence or absence of a modal OPalt operator that can bind the temporal variable of non-verbal predicates in accessible worlds, in the sense of Kratzer (1991). In the absence of this operator, the temporal variable is bound by the T0 head in the standard way. The proposal extends to non-verbal predicates in copular sentences as well as to argument and adjunct non-verbal predicates in non-copular sentences. https://czasopisma.kul.pl/index.php/LingBaW/article/view/5624ad hoc vs. habitual propertiesalternative statesaccessible worldsrich structure small clausescyclic Agree
spellingShingle Gréte Dalmi
Ad hoc properties and locations in Maltese
LingBaW
ad hoc vs. habitual properties
alternative states
accessible worlds
rich structure small clauses
cyclic Agree
title Ad hoc properties and locations in Maltese
title_full Ad hoc properties and locations in Maltese
title_fullStr Ad hoc properties and locations in Maltese
title_full_unstemmed Ad hoc properties and locations in Maltese
title_short Ad hoc properties and locations in Maltese
title_sort ad hoc properties and locations in maltese
topic ad hoc vs. habitual properties
alternative states
accessible worlds
rich structure small clauses
cyclic Agree
url https://czasopisma.kul.pl/index.php/LingBaW/article/view/5624
work_keys_str_mv AT gretedalmi adhocpropertiesandlocationsinmaltese