Prefixation in English and Catalan - Departament de Filologia ...

eflexives to be unergative entries (i.e. internal reduction has taken place). Again, the
prefix does not have any visible effects on the resulting Θ-grid. One can only
hypothesize that if the prefix has some features, these should be the same as those of the
base (i.e. [-c-m]) and that the Rel. RHR determines that the features of the A, and not
those of the prefix, percolate. Finally, as for the internalization of the A’s external role,
this process is only apparent. Only feature specifications (i.e. Θ-roles) move up to the
next node. The notions external and internal are conditioned by the category the Θ-roles
are associated with. For example, the A will determine that a [-c-m] role is external.
Once this role is on the V’s Θ-grid, Reinhart’s marking procedures will apply (the
[-c-m] role will bear index 2), determining internal merger for such role.
The next section shows that the basic pattern found in en+A Vs will also hold
for en+N Vs.
4.1.3 N-to-V prefixation
Three semantic patterns can be distinguished within en+N Vs: the first one means ‘to
put something/somebody in/onto/towards N’ (34) (cf. location Vs); the second one has
the opposite relation between the two arguments, i.e. ‘to put N around/in
something/somebody’ (35) (cf. locatum Vs); and finally, the third semantic pattern
involves the creation of the N, namely, ‘to make N’, which is the same pattern found
with As (36) 19 . The feature specification for each Θ-role has been placed next to the N
and derived V. The R-role is associated with every N (Williams (1981b)) (see footnote
9).
(34) a. caixaN ‘box’ R
b. encaixarV ‘to put something in a N’ [+c] [-c-m]
b. En Joan encaixà els llibres.
John EN-boxed the books
‘John packed the books away’
(35) a. caputxaN ‘hood’ R
b. encaputxar(-se)V ‘to put the N on somebody’s head’ [+c] [-c-m]
19 For discussion about location and locatum Vs, see Clark & Clark (1979), Kiparsky (1997), HK (1993,
1998, 2002), Mateu (2001b, 2002), among many others. Regarding denominal Vs with a meaning of
creation, see Clark & Clark (1979) and Gràcia et al. (2000) for example.
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