The Quantification Accessibility Hierarchy for Affixal Quantifiers

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

Previous analyses of -hoi, -saai and -maai emphasize their non-aspectual nature, separating them from verbal suffixes like perfective marker -zo, experiential marker -gwo, imperfective marker -zyu and progressive marker -gan, which are generally considered to be falling under the aspectual group. However, the problem is even if it is correct to claim for their non-aspectual nature, the basic semantics of -hoi, -saai and -maai remains unknown. As discussed in Chap. 2, despite that previous analyses do correctly describe some meanings of these suffixes, no unified meaning has been provided to any of them, with the underlying semantics of these suffixes yet to be revealed. What is peculiar about -hoi, -saai and -maai is that although they are morphologically attached to the verb, they can interpret with all verbal arguments. These suffixes are essentially quantificational, since it is from the suffix that the quantificational meaning of the sentence in question is derived. Hence, any analyses which aim to adequately capture the semantics of these verbal suffixes must account for their quantificational meaning.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationStudies in Natural Language and Linguistic Theory
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media B.V.
Pages59-120
Number of pages62
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2012
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameStudies in Natural Language and Linguistic Theory
Volume87
ISSN (Print)0924-4670
ISSN (Electronic)2215-0358

Keywords

  • Direct Argument
  • Direct Object
  • Hierarchical Order
  • Part Structure
  • Restrictive Domain

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