morphological? - KOPS - Universität Konstanz

4.2 Previous analyses
Various proposals have been put forward in the literature in order to account for constructions
with non-finite verb forms that exhibit verbal as well as nominal properties, such as the Spanish
nominal infinitive or the English gerund.
• Lexical category change by affixation
• Lexical category change in syntax
• Dual categorial status: Syntactic projection of two heads
• Dual categorial status: Insertion into both V an N is possible
4.2.1 Lexical category change by affixation
A kind of analysis that is immediately plausible to many morphologists is the following:
• The English gerund or the Spanish infinitive is a verb
• Where it has the distribution of a noun, it must have undergone a change in lexical
category.
• A change in lexical category can be brought about by overt affixation, or by zero affixes.
English gerund
• The overt affix -ing may be attached to V°, VP or IP, changing the category to N, giving
rise to the different gerundive constructions in English (Jackendoff 1977, Baker
1985, Abney 1987)
Spanish infinitive
• Lexical category change by phrasal affixation of zero affixes at the level of V°, VP,
and IP/CP (Yoon & Bonet-Farran 1991)
NP → VP-∅
IP → IP-∅
A similar proposal is made by de Miguel (1996), who distinguishes between two infinitival
affixes in Spanish
• -r as an inflectional affix that does not change the category of the verbal root
• -r as a derivational affix, converting a verb into a noun
Crucial presupposition of de Miguel's (1996) analysis
• infinitives preceded by determiners are either fully verbal or fully nominal, but cannot
have verbal and nominal properties at the same time (counterexamples: (13), (14),
(34), (35))
Problem
• does not explain why fully verbal infinitives can be preceded by a determiner
Note
• There is no overt affix in Spanish infinitives that could change the lexical category (in
contrast to English gerund)
• Postulation of a zero-affix or of affix homonymy is necessary
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