October 15, 2004: Susan Rothstein, Fred Landman

Time:: 3:30pm, October 15, 2004
Place:: Conference room, 3rd floor, Building 10, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo Komaba campus.
Talk 1: 3:30pm
Speaker:: Susan Rothstein, Bar-Ilan University
Title:: Two Puzzles for a Theory of Lexical Aspect: Semelfactives and Degree Achievements
Abstract:: In this talk I examine the semantic basis of the classification of verbs into the four Vendlerian classes (states, activities, achievements and accomplishments), and I address the question of what to do about semelfactives such as kick, jump and skip, which appear not to fit into any of these classes (Smith 1991), and degree achievements such as cool and darken which appear to belong to too many classes (Absuch 1985, 1986). I argue that the features characterising the four basic verb classes are whether or not the minimal events in their denotations are or are not inherently extended in time, and whether or not these events are characterised as events of change. I discuss the contrast between minimal and non-minimal events and show that the semelfactive/activity homonymy results from the distinction between minimal and non-minimal activity events. The properties of degree achievements arise from the characterisation of the minimal events in their denotation as changes in scalar values rather than changes from a state in which p holds to a state in which not p holds.
Talk 2: 5:00pm
Speaker:: Fred Landman, Tel Aviv University
Title:: 1066: On the Differences between the Tense-Perspective-Aspect Systems of English and Dutch
Abstract:: In this talk, I propose that, in the development from Anglo-Saxon to Modern English, a markedness system of semantic perspective and aspect was replaced by a lexical system, and that Dutch retains the older markedness system. I develop a theory of tense, perspective, and aspect, which I call 1066, in which these notions, and the proposals, are made precise. After that, I discuss several differences between English and Dutch, and I argue that these differences directly follow from this one change. I mention some other differences which can be analyzed as (minor) changes in English, made possible by this change.

October 15, 2004: Susan Rothstein, Two Puzzles for a Theory of Lexical Aspect: Semelfactives and Degree Achievements; Fred Landman, 1066: On the Differences between the Tense-Perspective-Aspect Systems of English and Dutch

October 15, 2004: Susan Rothstein, Two Puzzles for a Theory of Lexical Aspect: Semelfactives and Degree Achievements;
Fred Landman, 1066: On the Differences between the Tense-Perspective-Aspect Systems of English and Dutch