Accomplishment Predicates in Mandarin and Their Lexical Semantics

• Published in: Chinese Lexical Semantics Vol. 12278; pp. 303 - 319
• Main Authors: Zhang, Xiaoqian, Luo, Yingyi, Hu, Jianhua
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Springer International Publishing AG 2021; Springer International Publishing
• Series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science
• Subjects: Accomplishment predicates; Lexical semantics; Modal base analysis; Non-culminating reading and culminating reading
• ISBN: 9783030811969; 3030811964
• ISSN: 0302-9743; 1611-3349
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-81197-6_26

This paper discusses the lexical semantics of Mandarin accomplishment predicates, which are known as allowing both culminating reading and non-culminating reading. We will firstly point out the limits of previous studies on the semantics of Mandarin accomplishments. Then we will categorise accomplishments into three groups on the basis of the endpoints that they encode and provide a modal base analysis for their semantics. Next, we will propose one pragmatic constraint to which accomplishments are subject when they allow non-culminating reading. Lastly, we will argue for the necessity of distinguishing different types of endpoints that contribute to the telicity of accomplishment predicates.