Directionals and PPs: measuring out movement

Abstract

This thesis investigates the interaction of MPs with directional PPs. An extension of VSS (Vector Space Semantics, Zwarts&Winter (2000)) is proposed to define directional PPs from a model-theoretic perspective, and it is integrated with insights from Algebra of Paths (Zwarts(2005)), regarding the contribution of directional PPs to Lexical Aspect. Bounded directional PPs are defined as non-cumulative, while unbounded directional PPs are defined as cumulative, closed under the operation of concatenation. A classification of directional PPs in classes is proposed, together with their algebraic properties: the opposition between singular and plural NPs finds a parallel in the opposition between bounded and unbounded directional PPs. MPs are studied as expressions of modification with a uniform cross-linguistic and cross-categorial behavior, licensed only by the presence of atelic PPs. It is claimed that in the prepositional domain, they can only occur with directional, atelic PPs, resulting in a bounded reading of this class of prepositions. This generalization is claimed to be a universal principle, possibly holding for other categories as well.