Perception verb complements in Akatek, a Mayan language

186 5. PERCEPTION VERB COMPLEMENTS IN AKATEK
Ihave shown that type2 PVCs cannot be modi ed by the auxiliary
ske' `be able', but by anumber of frequency and degree adverbials.
The inability to occur with sentential adverbials like tejan `possibly'
was identi ed as a de ning feature of purely event denoting PVCs.
This prediction is borne out for type2 PVCs.
3.3.5. Summary. Ihave investigated the following properties for
the semantic characterization of type2 PVCs: temporal simultaneity,
type of complement predicate, negation, and modality. As the results
in Table 10 show, temporal simultaneity is required, the PVC predicate
must be perceivable, and negation as well as modi cation with modal
auxiliaries and sentential adverbs are impossible. However, type2 can
be modi ed with degree and frequency adverbials, which is a property
of event denoting complement types.
Table 10. Semantic characterization of type2 PVCs
Criterion Type2 PVC
Temporal simultaneity +
Perceptible predicates +
Process predicates +
Negation -
Modality: modal auxiliary -
Modality: degree/frequency adverb +
Modality: sentential adverb -
3.4. Matrix predicates. Besides PVs, there are a number of matrix
predicates that obligatorily or optionally embed type2 complements.
Additionally, type2 complements can occur after the conjunction
katu' and with certain auxiliaries functioning as main predicates
(Zavala, 1992b):
1. The conjunction katu',
2. NVPs with adverbial function like watx' `good',
3. Adverbs followed by un `do',
4. The modal auxiliary sq'e `be able',
5. Aspectual auxiliaries like the progressive lanan/lalan,
6. Motion verbs (depending on aspect),
7. Causative verbs like chej `force'.
Now I present examples regarding the other kinds of matrix predicates
for type2 complements. Emphasis is given to the last item in
the above list, causative verbs like e.g. chej `force', because causatives
and perception verbs in English and Romance languages have been
observed to share a number of properties (cf. Guasti (1993)).