The semantics of conversion nouns and -<i>ing</i> nominalizations: A quantitative and theoretical perspective

This paper addresses a fundamental problem of derivational morphology: which meanings are possible for the words given morphological category, forms can be chosen to express meaning, and what is role base in these mappings form meaning? In broad empirical study we examine extent two types nominalizations English – conversion nouns - ing either eventive or referential readings, quantified as count mass, based on verbs particular aspectual classes (state, activity, accomplishment, achievement, semelfactive). Past literature (for example, Grimshaw 1990 Brinton 1995, 1998 Borer 2013) has suggested an association between nominalization, quantification, reading one hand, mass quantification other. Using subset data reported Andreou &amp; Lieber (2020), give statistical evidence that relationship form, type class verb neither categorical, suggests, nor completely free, but rather probabilistic. We provide both univariate analysis multivariate (using conditional inference trees) show among variables eventivity, complex. Tendencies sometimes go direction by past (e.g. tend eventive), contradict predictions (conversion also tends eventive). document important played specific underlying nominalization than verb. Finally, consider pattern polysemy uncover suggests with respect theoretical modeling, looking at syntactic models (Distributed Morphology), lexical semantic (the Lexical Semantic Framework), Analogical Models, Distributional Semantics.