The aspectual properties of nominalization structures

In this paper I will primarily discuss the aspectual properties of Greek verb

derived nominalizations and address the question of how these interact with

morphological marking introducing class and number. Greek nominalizations

will be compared to Romanian ones, which have been argued to show clear

aspectual distinctions. I argue that Greek derived nominals taking the affix

-m- are instances of nominalizations that block culmination and hence are

always atelic and for this reason resist pluralization. A distinction will also be

made between two types of plurality: one introducing tokenization, available

for count nouns and one expletive available only with mass nouns. The latter

type is not available in the nominalization, as it is a very low marker of plurality, introduced at the level of the basic predicate.

Published online: 17 August 2011
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.178.11ale