Luo: from Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics

2008-02-08T13:57:09Z

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'''Aspectual classes''' is a term that used for a classification of [[verb]]s with respect to their aspectual properties, dating back to an Aristotelian classification of situations.

===Examples===
(i) States:
''Socrates is mortal. She is in danger. He loves potatoes.''
(ii) Activities:
''John walked miles and miles. She drove him safely.''
(iii) Accomplishments:
''John walked home, She ate a sandwich.''
(iv) Achievements:
''She reached the top. He won the race.''

===Comments===
The most popular aspectual classes are those proposed in Vendler (1967) (extending a classification in Kenny (1963)) and applied and formalized in Dowty (1979): States, Activities (unbounded processes), Accomplishments (bounded processes), and Achievements (point events).

Linguistically, the classification is often used for the analysis of [[aspect]]. However, Verkuyl (1989,1993) argues that aspectual classes have no explanatory function in the analysis of [[aspect]]. For him, the opposition between States and Activities on the one hand and Accomplishments and Achievements on the other hand is considered central, also known as the contrast between [[durative]]/atelic aspect versus [[terminative]]/telic aspect. [[Durative]] sentences, but not [[terminative]] sentences can be used with a durative adverbial like for hours:

(v) ''For hours she was in danger.''

(vi) ''?For hours she reached the top''

Sentence (vi) can only be interpreted with a repetition, indicating that She reached the top is a terminative sentence. In Slavic languages, terminative aspect can be morphologically marked.

===Link===
[http://www2.let.uu.nl/UiL-OTS/Lexicon/zoek.pl?lemma=Aspectual+classes&lemmacode=1042 Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics]

===References===
*Dowty, D. 1979. W''ord meaning and Montague grammar: the semantics of verbs and times in generative semantics and in Montague's PTQ.'' Dordrecht: Reidel.
*Kenny, A. 1963. ''Action, emotion and will, Studies in philosophical psychology.'' London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
*Tenny, C. 1987. Grammaticalizing aspect and affectedness. Diss. MIT.
*Vendler, Z. 1967. ''Linguistics in Philosophy.'' Ithaca: Cornell UP.
*Verkuyl, H.J. 1989. Aspectual Classes and Aspectual Composition. ''Linguistics and Philosophy'', 39-94, Dordrecht.
*Verkuyl, H.J. 1993. ''A theory of aspectuality: the interaction between temporal and atemporal structure.'' Cambrigde: Cambridge University Press.

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[[Category:Semantics]]

Aspectual classes - Revision history

Luo: from Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics