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Article published In: Sign Language & Linguistics
Vol. 20:2 (2017) ► pp.228–252

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An analysis of main verb agreement and auxiliary agreement in NGT within the theory of Conceptual Semantics (Jackendoff, Ray S. 1990. Semantic structures. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar)

Published online: 26 March 2018
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https://doi.org/10.1075/sll.00003.bos
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2. Jackendoff’s (1990) theory of meaning representation: Conceptual Semantics
  • 3.Earlier analyses of agreement in sign languages
    • 3.1Source and Goal
    • 3.2Subject and Object
  • 4.Comparison of the agreement pattern of main directional verbs and that of the directional auxiliary act-on
    • i.Same arguments agreed with but opposite movements
    • ii.Different arguments selected for agreement
    • iii.The directional auxiliary can be used together with locational verbs as well
  • 5.An analysis of arguments agreed with in NGT in terms of the thematic roles on Jackendoff’s Thematic Tier
    • 5.1General pattern
      • 5.1.1Verbs that have a Theme, Source, and Goal argument on the Thematic Tier (Class I)
        • Gain I
        • Gain II
      • 5.1.2Verbs that have a Source and Goal argument on the Thematic Tier and an Incorporated Theme (Class II)
      • 5.1.3Verbs that have a Theme and Goal argument on the Thematic Tier (Class III)
      • 5.1.4Verbs that have an Agent, Theme, and Goal argument on the Thematic Tier (Class IV)
      • 5.1.5Verbs that have no Goal argument on the Thematic Tier
        • Gain III
    • 5.2Exceptions
      • 5.2.1Directional agreement with Source adjuncts
      • 5.2.2Directional agreement with Location adjuncts
  • 6.Mapping
  • 7.Summary, conclusions, and questions
    • Adjunct agreement
    • Cross-linguistic implications
    • Grammaticisation
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
References (36)
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