A Contrastive Study of Function Verbs in English and Japanese : Cut and Kiru

A Contrastive Study of Function Verbs in English and Japanese – Cut and Kiru OTOMO Asako Graduate School of International Cultural Studies Tohoku University Kawauchi, Aoba-ku Sendai, 980-8576, Japan 0m17otom@intcul.tohoku.ac.jp Abstract This paper gives a contrastive analysis of function verbs in English and Japanese, cut and kiru in the framework of the Generative Lexicon (Pustejovsky 1995). Despite their division sense, these two express performance of an event when they take constituents which denote eventuality. They differ, however, in the resulting event structures. On the one hand, ‘cut+an event nominal’ can be dealt with as involving a generative operation called co-composition, and describes a temporally bounded event. On the other hand, V-kiru denotes an accomplishment event by means of another operation, type coercion.�This analysis also accounts for the difference in selection restriction between the two forms. 1 Introduction Cut and kiru, as main verbs, both express division sense such as in cut a cake and keeki-o kiru ‘to cut a cake’.�It is well known among Japanese linguists that a verb kiru ‘to cut’ in Japanese is also used as a function verb1, expressing performance of an event, like (1) (Himeno 1980 and others). It is interesting to note that the English counterpart to kiru, i.e. cut can participate in so-called Light Verb Construction when it co-occurs with event nominals, similarly to other well-established light verbs like take and have. For instance, parallel to (2a), we can say (2b) as well as (2c). (1) Taroo-ga biiru-o nomi-ki-tta. Taroo-NOM beer-ACC drink-cut-PAST ‘Taroo drank the beer to the last drop.’ (2) a. John looked at the clock quickly. b. John cut a quick look at the clock. c. John {had/took} a quick look at the clock. [Light Verb Construction] From observation of (3), however, it seems that these two verbs differ in selection restrictions on their complements. While kiru co-occurs with a constituent that denotes an activity of drinking, cut does not. Conversely, while cut takes a look as its complement, kiru does not combine with mi- ‘to look’. (3) a. Taroo-ga biiru-o nomi-ki-tta. (=1) ‘Taroo drank the beer to the last drop.’ b. *John cut a drink of the beer. c. *Taroo-ga subayaku tokei-o mi-ki-tta. Taroo-NOM quickly clock-ACC look-at-cut-PAST ‘Taroo looked at the clock quickly and thoroughly.’ d. John cut a quick look at the clock.���(=2b) 1 Function verbs are verbs which have little lexical content and mainly provide grammatical information. PACLIC 18, December 8th-10th, 2004, Waseda University, Tokyo - 235 - Based on the Generative Lexicon Theory, this paper analyzes the event structures of these two forms ‘cut+an event nominal’ and V-kiru, and accounts for the difference in selection restriction between the two. 2 What Cut and Kiru Have in Common 2.1 The main verbs cut and kiru – division and creation Cut and kiru, as main verbs, both express not only division sense but also creation sense as in (4). (4) a. John cut {a pattern out of paper/a key/a slice of cake}. b. Taroo-ga {katagami/mado/irori}-o ki-tta. Taroo-NOM {pattern/window/fireplace}-ACC cut-PAST ‘Taroo …

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