Patterns of Derivation

ness and Temporal Extension: As abstract concepts we regard all those entities the denotation of which we cannot touch with our hands and which are not part or a collection of entities which can be touched. Stones, scree and atoms are concrete, ideas and good are not. Adjectives derived from concrete nouns (e.g. stony) are coded as concrete in their literal meaning since they inherit the referential argument from the noun, i.e. they refer to the same concept (cf. (CARULLA (1994))). Due to the nature of their referential argument and their empty argument structure, such adjectives find no predicative usage. Concrete concepts denote entities (sem={abstract=nil}) , while abstract concepts denote either entities (sem={abstract={temp=nil}}), a space in time (sem={abstract={temp={struct=nil}}}) or events/states (sem={abstract={temp={struct={aspect=_}}}}), where the struct feature introduces an aspectual structuring of the event. Concerning the hierarchy of actualization functions, as it is reflected in our semantic classification, only finite indicative verbs arrive at a full actualization of a concept by their being embedded in the speech act with tense values (cf. (MAINGUENAU (1981))). In other cases, where actualization is indirect, e.g. by reference to events actualized elsewhere in the text, verbs may be translated by event nouns or adjectives or by non-finite or subjunctive verb forms. If nominal concepts or adjectival concepts are to be actualized directly, they have to fall back on support verb constructions and copulative structures (cf. 2a-b). Conceptual boundedness: As for temporal extension and abstractness, we assume conceptual boundedness to be a category applicable to all parts of speech (cf. Krifka’s theory of homomorphism of objects and events (KRIFKA (1991))). We adopt Quine's definition of conceptual boundedness (cf. (QUINE (1960))), according to which concepts refer cumulatively if any sum of the concept is the concept itself, e.g. any sum of parts which are water is water, (pg.91). Otherwise concepts refer quantized. This 6 An overview of the semantic classification currently used in CAT2 is given below. For a detailed description see (STREITER (1994B)). 7 A lexical item having a temporal extension denotes the relation of notional parts of that item to the temporal axis, which makes the whole concept abstract. Accordingly, we represent the temporal description as included in the description of abstraction.