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

(47) V {[+c]1, [-c-m]2}
/ \
en V {[+c]1,[-c-m]2}
|
chant
The V chant has two Θ-roles a [+c+m] (agent) and a [-c-m] (theme), a sufficient
number of roles to allow marking. Accordingly, the [+] role will get index 1 and will
merge externally, and the [-] role will receive index 2 and will merge internally.
To summarize V-to-V prefixation in English, no systematic patterns between the
two argument structures can be observed, i.e. the prefix does not seem to bring anything
visible to the V. At this stage, the question of whether en- is a left head is redundant,
and so is the postulation of a zero-suffix. The base in V-to-V prefixation is already
verbal and no conversion process can be attributed either to the prefix or empty suffix.
After all, V-to-V prefixation may not constitute a proper class in English nor in Catalan.
4.2.2 A-to-V prefixation
This section addresses the question of whether the same analysis for Catalan en+A Vs
can also explain the different types of deadjectival Vs found in English. Examples like
those in (48-50) show that the same analysis can be maintained, although in English
en+A Vs only allow the transitive variant, illustrated in (a). The sentences in (b)
indicate that the unaccusative variant is impossible and (c) provides some alternatives to
(b). Note that this type of deadjectival Vs is not really productive: seven en+A Vs are
the only existing forms nowadays (Appendix A, section b).
(48) richA [-c-m]
enrichV [+c] [-c-m]
a. She will enrich the country.
b. *The country will enrich.
c. The country will {be/become} rich.
(49) largeA [-c-m]
enlargeV [+c] [-c-m]
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