On the l-syntax of manner and causation

So-called Manner conflation has been argued to be a local process whose semantic interpretation is syntactically determined (Mateu 2002; Mateu & Rigau 2002; McIntyre 2004; Harley 2005; Zubizarreta & Oh 2007). Following this trend, I show how the present modification of Hale & Keyser’s (2005) l(exical)-syntactic analysis of some Manner verbs (esp. splash/smear verbs) naturally leads us to revise Talmy’s (1991, 2000) Manner conflation processes. After discussing the proper treatment of some complex causative constructions that involve Manner conflation, I claim that the present Hale&Keyserian perspective can provide us with the right balance between a conservative proposal like Folli & Harley’s (2006) and a radical one like Borer’s (2005).