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Part of
Boundaries, Phases and Interfaces: Case studies in honor of Violeta Demonte
Edited by Olga Fernández-Soriano, Elena Castroviejo Miró and Isabel Pérez-Jiménez
[Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today 239] 2017
► pp. 151–172

The grammaticalization of ‘big’ situations

The IMPF operator and perfective imperfects in Bulgarian

| University of Ottawa
| University of Ottawa
| University of Ottawa

Assuming that syntax and morphology constraints can target ‘situation size’ in semantics, this paper argues for the necessity of constraints on ‘big’ situations, and for their grammaticalization. Data from Bulgarian indicate that complex (viewpoint) aspectual interactions between Perfective verbs in the Imperfect Tense in adjunct/restrictor clauses and verbs in the Imperfect Tense in main/nuclear scope clauses trigger habitual interpretations. Such interactions result in propositions that can only be true in ‘big’ situations, informally described as ‘non-accidental generalizations on repeated actions that are complete’. Furthermore, a morphological contrast between Perfective Imperfects and Perfective Aorists in adverbial adjunct clauses accounts for restrictions on the modal interpretations of imperfective aspect associated with a Viewpoint operator IMPF, and distinguishes between ongoing and habitual readings.

Keywords: Bulgarian, situation semantics, situation size, viewpoint aspect, imperfective aspect, (perfective) imperfect tense, (perfective) aorist tense
Article outline
  • 1.Proposal
  • 2.Perfective imperfects vs. Perfective Aorists
  • 3.The anatomy of verbs with the Imperfect tense inflection in Bulgarian
  • 4.IMPF in Bulgarian
    • 4.1Interpreting IMPF
    • 4.2Generic / habitual readings
    • 4.3Ongoing readings
  • 5.The interpretative effects of clausal restrictors on IMPF
    • 5.1A proposal on restrictors with Perfective Imperfects
    • 5.2A proposal on adjuncts with Perfective Aorists
  • 6.Viewpoint-level operators vs. V-level operators
  • 7.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 14 June 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.239.08riv
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