A generic framework for Arabic to English machine ... - Acsu Buffalo

(3.3)
[do’(Zaid, [use’(Zaid, knife)])] CAUSE
[[do’(knife, [cut’(knife, bread)])]CAUSE
[BECOME cut’(bread)]]
3.4. LEXICAL REPRESENTATIONS FOR VERBS
The causing event in (3.3) is complex, and the INSTRUMENT argument appears three
times in the logical structure: as the IMPLEMENT of use’ and as the EFFECTOR of
do’(x,[cut’(x,y)]). It is possible, if the first argument of the highest do’ were left unspec-
ified, to say The knife cut the bread, with the INSTRUMENT knife as actor.
3.4.2 change of state verb
A change of state verb may be punctual in one language and non-punctual in another. A
good example of this cross-linguistic variation is English ‘die’ and Arabic. Both have the
result that the subject is dead. Accordingly, it is possible to say in English
He died quickly , He died slowly and He died suddenly. In Arabic we can say as (3.4),
also, it is possible to say in Arabic Hence the logical structure for English and Arabic
‘die’ would be [ BECOME dead’(x)], an accomplishment.
(3.4)
(a) māt sry֒ā
(b)
He died quickly.
māt bbt.֓y
He died slowly.
(c) māt fˇgāh
He died suddenly.
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