This chapter explores the phenomenon of affixal rivalry, namely, the competition between synonymous affixes, using comparative data and the lexical semantic framework (LSF), which is a lexicalist theory in the generativist tradition. The LSF’s major goal is to explain derivational polysemy, and… read more
This chapter provides an overview of the study of competition in word-formation theories, drawing on the findings of the ten chapters collected in this volume and other recent contributions. It explores recurrent issues regarding (i) the triggers and outcomes of competition, (ii) the variety of… read more
This paper addresses Japanese pseudo-coordination containing an existential verb by focusing on the two types of existential verbs, one taking an animate subject and the other taking an inanimate subject. Though both can form a pseudo-coordination expression, one is two-way ambiguous in… read more
The notion of mirativity as a grammatical category separate from evidentiality is controversial, but a certain amount of cross-linguistic evidence speaks for its validity. The aim of this study is to investigate this notion in contemporary and earlier Japanese, which is shown to have mirative… read more