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        1.    Katerina Zombolou, Verbal Alternations in Greek: a Semantic Analysis

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Message 1: Verbal Alternations in Greek: a Semantic Analysis

Date: 01-Dec-2004
From: Katerina Zombolou <griechisches.zentrumt-online.de>
Subject: Verbal Alternations in Greek: a Semantic Analysis




Institution: University of Reading
Program: School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, Linguistic Science Division
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 2004



Author: Katerina Zombolou



Dissertation Title: Verbal Alternations in Greek: a Semantic Analysis



Linguistic Field(s): Morphology


                            Semantics



Dissertation Director:


Spyridoula Dr. Varlokosta


Irene Philippaki-Warburton





Dissertation Abstract:



This work presents a semantic analysis for the passive voice affix -me
found in (modern) Greek. In order to avoid the conclusion that the passive
voice affix in Greek (PA-morphology) is both syntactically and lexically
polyfunctional, since this verbal affix is able to express eleven different
readings apart from the passive voice reading, this thesis undertakes an
aspectual analysis within the framework of the decomposition theory
(Dowty 1979, Bierwisch 1983; Pustejovsky 1989, Kaufmann 1995; Stechow
1995; Rapp 1997; Wunderlich 1997). The results of this inquiry show that
the different functions of the PA-morphology converge to a basic one from
which the others derive, that is to say the PA-morphology in Greek has a
unitary function.

More specifically, the present investigation shows that the function of
the PA-morphology is related to the underlying causative structure of the
verbs: the PA-morphology changes a causative structure to a non-causative
one by selecting a subevent out of a causative structure [x CAUSE (BECOME
(BE (y)))], whether it is an achievement structure [x BECOME (BE)] or a state
structure [x BE]. In other words, this work presents an analysis of the PA-
morphology as a de-causativiser.







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