Chapter published in:
The Semantics of Dynamic Space in French: Descriptive, experimental and formal studies on motion expression
Edited by Michel Aurnague and Dejan Stosic
[Human Cognitive Processing 66] 2019
► pp. 68–107

French motion verbs

Insights into the status of locative PPs

| Lattice, CNRS, ENS & Université Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle, PSL & USPC, France

This chapter deals with the syntactic status of locative constituents combining with motion verbs in French. It aims at answering the following questions: are locative PPs arguments or adjuncts? To which extent does the semantic structure of motion verbs determine the obligatory or optional presence of locative constituent?

In the first part of the chapter, I discuss the general assumption that Manner and Path cannot be encoded in the same verb. This restriction intersects with the two-way typological division between Verb framed languages and Satellite framed languages. As an alternative view of motion description, I present the classification criteria, proposed by Aurnague (2011), which provides new tools to rethink motion beyond the classical opposition between Manner and Path. Relying on a corpus study, I systematically apply a series of syntactic tests to the main classes of motion verbs. I show that locative PPs are tied to the verb to several degrees and that the semantic structure of verbs strongly impacts their syntactic properties.

Keywords: motion verbs, argument structure, goal bias, syntax-semantic interface
Article outline
  • 1.Motion event
    • 1.1Path verbs vs. Manner of motion verbs
    • 1.2Semantic components of a motion event
    • 1.3Satellite-framed vs. verb-framed languages
  • 2.Spatial criteria for motion event classification
    • 2.1The relational nature of space in motion events
    • 2.2Classification of French motion verbs: Aurnague’s (2011) criteria
  • 3.Semantic structure of French Motion verbs
    • 3.1Change of placement verbs (courir ‘run’)
    • 3.2Class of change of relation only (sauter ‘jump’)
    • 3.3Class of change of relation and change of placement (aller ‘go’)
    • 3.4Path defined as a set of independent features
    • 3.5Manner defined as a set of independent features
  • 4.Argument/adjunct distinction in French: How locative PPs are special
    • 4.1Syntactic criteria
    • 4.2Syntactic tests and pragmatic constraints
  • 5.Methodology
  • 6.Argument structure of motion verbs and usage-based exploration of preferred constructions
    • 6.1Final change of relation and change of placement verbs
      • 6.1.1Final change of relation and change of placement verb with integrated prior motion: The case of aller ‘go’
      • 6.1.2Final change of relation and change of placement verb with presupposed prior motion: The case of arriver ‘arrive’
    • 6.2Independent vs. extended initial change of relation and change of placement verbs: partir ‘leave’ vs. s’enfuir ‘run away’
    • 6.3Initial vs. final verbs of inclusion/containment type with change of relation and change of placement: sortir ‘exit’ vs. entrer ‘enter’
    • 6.4First conclusion
  • 7.Change of placement verbs
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 29 July 2019
https://doi.org/10.1075/hcp.66.02sar
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