Prolegomenon to a Theory of Argument Structure (Linguistic Inquiry Monographs)

292 Pages·2002·2.31 MB·English

by  Ken Hale

Prolegomenon to a Theory
of Argument Structure
Linguistic Inquiry Monographs
SamuelJay Keyser, general editor
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23. ThematicStructureinSyntax,EdwinWilliams
24. IndicesandIdentity,RobertFiengoandRobertMay
25. TheAntisymmetryofSyntax,RichardS.Kayne
26. Unaccusativity: At the Syntax–Lexical Semantics Interface, Beth Levin and
MalkaRappaportHovav
27. Lexico-LogicalForm:ARadicallyMinimalistTheory,MichaelBrody
28. TheArchitectureoftheLanguageFaculty,RayJackendo¤
29. LocalEconomy,ChrisCollins
30. SurfaceStructureandInterpretation,MarkSteedman
31. ElementaryOperationsandOptimalDerivations,HisatsuguKitahara
32. The Syntax of Nonfinite Complementation: An Economy Approach, Zˇeljko
Bosˇkovic´
33. Prosody,Focus,andWordOrder,MariaLuisaZubizarreta
34. TheDependenciesofObjects,EstherTorrego
35. EconomyandSemanticsInterpretation,DannyFox
36. WhatCounts,ElenaHerburger
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38. DynamicAntisymmetry,AndreaMoro
39. ProlegomenontoaTheoryofArgumentStructure,KenHaleandSamuelJay
Keyser
Prolegomenon to a Theory Ken Hale and Samuel Jay
of Argument Structure Keyser
The MIT Press
Cambridge, Massachusetts
London, England
62002MassachusettsInstituteofTechnology
Allrights reserved. Nopart of thisbook maybereproduced inanyform by any
electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or informa-
tionstorageandretrieval)withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.
This book was set in Times New Roman on 3B2 by Asco Typesetters, Hong
Kong,andwasprintedandboundintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Hale,KennethL.(KennethLocke),1934–2001
Prolegomenontoatheoryofargumentstructure/KenHaleandSamuelJay
Keyser.
p. cm.—(Linguisticinquirymonographs;39)
ISBN0-262-08308-6(hc.:alk.paper)—ISBN0-262-58214-7(pbk.:alk.
paper)
1.Grammar,Comparativeandgeneral—Verbphrase. 2.Grammar,
Comparativeandgeneral—Syntax. I.Keyser,SamuelJay,1935– II.Title.
III.Series.
P281.H352002
415—dc21 2002024420
Contents
SeriesForeword vii Notes 249
Preface ix References 261
Index 269
Chapter1
TheBasicElementsofArgument
Structure 1
Chapter2
BoundFeatures,Merge,and
TransitivityAlternations 29
Chapter3
Conflation 47
Chapter4
ANativeAmericanPerspective 105
Chapter5
OntheDoubleObject
Construction 159
Chapter6
There-InsertionUnaccusatives 189
Chapter7
AspectandtheSyntaxofArgument
Structure 205
Chapter8
OntheTimeofMerge 227
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Series Foreword
We are pleased to present the thirty-ninth in the series Linguistic Inquiry
Monographs. These monographs present new and original research be-
yondthescopeofthearticle.Wehopetheywillbenefitourfieldbybring-
ing to itperspectives thatwill stimulate further research and insight.
Originally published in limited edition, the Linguistic Inquiry Mono-
graphs are now more widely available. This change is due to the great
interest engendered by the series and by the needs of a growing reader-
ship. The editors thank the readers for their support and welcome sug-
gestionsabout futuredirections for the series.
SamuelJayKeyser
fortheEditorial Board
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Preface
The work represented inthis volume began almost a quarter of acentury
agowiththeWarlpiriDictionaryProjectinBuilding20atMIT.Theyear
was 1979 and the participants included at the outset Ken Hale and Mary
Laughren, who were joined shortly by David Nash and Jane Simpson.
In subsequent years, under the aegis of the now defunct MIT Center for
Cognitive Science, numerous students and visiting faculty contributed to
the project. In the fall of 1983, when Ken Hale was on sabbatical in Til-
burg, Jay Keyser, then director of the Center for Cognitive Science, set
up the Lexicon Project with the understanding that, on Hale’s return,
he would assume leadership of the project. Unfortunately, the best laid
schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft a-gley. On his return, Hale formed a
collaboration with Keyser that has endured for the past eighteen years,
outliving even theCenter for CognitiveScienceitself.
Over that period of time, Hale and Keyser produced a number of
papers, mostly, though not exclusively, on English. These included
.
‘‘The Basic Elements of Argument Structure’’ (Hale andKeyser 1998),
.
‘‘Bound Features, Merge, and Transitivity Alternations’’ (Hale and
Keyser 1999),
.
‘‘Conflation’’ (Hale and Keyser 2000),
.
‘‘AUto-Aztecan(O’odham)ReflectionofaGeneralLimitonPredicate
Argument Structure’’ (Hale 2000b),
.
‘‘Hopi-na’’ (Hale and Jeanne 1999),
.
‘‘Navajo Reflections of a General Theory of Lexical Argument Struc-
ture’’ (Hale and Platero 1996),and
.
‘‘Theoretical and Universal Implications of Certain Verbal Entries in
DictionariesoftheMisumalpanLanguages’’(HaleandSalamanca2001).
These papers comprise the major body of work from which the present
volumehasbeenassembled.Ineverycase,however,wehavemodifiedthe