Semantic Hierarchy of English Unaccusative Verbs Based on Telicity

Lizhong TAN

Abstract


The syntactic representation of unaccusative verb hierarchy is reflected through the use of auxiliary verbs in some languages. The choice of auxiliary verbs in syntax is not solely determined by agency and telicity at the semantic level. The semantic hierarchy of unaccusative verbs stems from the diversity of telicity, as telicity is not a traditional static point in time but rather an event’s dynamic process that projects in various combinations with dynamic processes. Thus, when unaccusative verbs are derived syntactically, they do not simply manifest in one sentence pattern but instead derive different patterns based on the choice between static and dynamic telicity. This research not only helps us understand the characteristics of telicity semantically but also assists us in exploring the relationship between telicity and the semantic hierarchy of unaccusative verbs, effectively explaining the underlying mechanisms behind the generation of various unaccusative  syntaxes.


Keywords


Unaccusative verbs; Semantic hierarchy; Telicity; Events

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/13508

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