Lexical restrictions on grammatical relations Often treated as semi-arbitrary I’m here to tell you that, at least at the level of verb argument structure they’re often (though probably not always) semantically motivated. The semantics of the verb must fit with the semantics of the construction (e.g., Pinker, 1989; Goldberg, 1995).
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Lexical restrictions on grammatical relations
Often treated as semi-arbitrary
I’m here to tell you that, at least at the level of verb argument structure they’re often (though probably not always) semantically motivated.
The semantics of the verb must fit with the semantics of the construction (e.g., Pinker, 1989; Goldberg, 1995).
Method1. Native-speaking adults rate verbs/events for semantic propertie claimed to capture the semantics of the construction (sometimes condensed using PCA).2. Those ratings used to predict (other) native-speaking adults’ & kids’ acceptability judgments when the verb is used in the construction
un[VERB]: enclosing, surface-attachment, covering, circular motion, hand movements
English passive: affectedness of SUBJ
English passive: affectedness of SUBJ
Indonesian passive: affectedness of SUBJ
remember
remember
remember
know
know
know
disgustdisgustdisgust
understand
understand
understand
recognize
recognize
recognize
watch
watch
watch
look at
look at
look at
amaze
amaze
amaze
seespot
seespot
seespot
dislike
dislike
disliketrust
trust
trust
hear
hear
hear
believe
believe
believe
miss
miss
miss
listen to
listen to
listen to
worry
worry
worry
fear
fear
fear
admire
admire
admire
forget
forget
forget
overhear
overhear
overhear
notice
notice
notice
smell
smell
smell
love
love
love
avoid
avoid
avoid
carry
carry
carry
eat
eat
eat
hate
hate
hate
like
like
like
distract
distract
distractfollow
follow
follow
calm
calm
calm
lead
lead
lead
ignore
ignore
ignorechase
chase
chase
entertain
entertain
entertain
teach
teach
teach
impress
impress
impress
anger
anger
anger
cheer up
cheer up
cheer up
please
please
pleasewash
wash
wash
dress
dress
dress
call
call
call
amuse
amuse
amusetease
tease
tease
help
help
help
hold
hold
hold
startle
startle
startle
shake
shake
shake
hug
hug
hug
pat
pat
pat
drop
drop
drop
surprise
surprise
surprise
disturb
disturb
disturb
pull
pull
pullkiss
kiss
kiss
irritate
irritate
irritateshock
shock
shock
squash
squash
squash
terrify
terrify
terrify
sadden
sadden
saddenupset
upset
upsetbother
bother
botherannoy
annoy
annoy
kick
kick
kickfrighten
frighten
frighten
scare
scare
scarepush
push
push
bite
bite
bite cut
cut
cut
hit
hit
hit
1
2
3
4
5
−2 −1 0 1 2Semantics
Rat
ing
(raw
) Sentenceaaa
Canonical_Passive
NCanonical_Passive
X_Active
Balinese passive: affectedness of SUBJ
impress
impress
impress
impress
impress
scare
scare
scare
scare
scare
trusttrust
trust
trust
trust
miss
missmiss
miss
miss
annoy
annoyannoy
annoyannoy
understandunderstand
understand
understand
understand
disgust
disgust
disgust
disgust
disgust
believebelieve
believe
believe
believe
anger
anger
anger
anger
anger
rememberremember
rememberremember
remember
leadlead
lead
lead
lead
hear
hear
hearhear
hear
know
know
know
know
know
sadden
sadden
sadden
saddensadden
smell
smell
smell
smell
smell
forget
forget
forget
forget
forget
seesee
seesee
see
avoid
avoid
avoidavoid
avoid
like
like
like
likelike
watchwatch
watch
watch
watch
followfollow
follow
follow
follow
love
lovelove
love
lovefearfear
fear
fear
fear
eat
eat
eat
eat
eat
call
call
call
call
call
shake
shake
shake
shake
shake
calmcalm
calm
calm
calm
wash
wash
wash
wash
wash
patpat
pat
pat
pat
help
help
helphelp
help
distract
distract
distractdistract
distract
chasechase
chase
chase
chase
cut
cut
cut
cut
cut
carrycarry
carry
carry
carry
holdhold
hold
hold
hold
hughug
hughug
hug
surprise
surprisesurprise
surprise
surprise
disturbdisturb
disturbdisturb
disturb
teachteach
teach
teach
teach
dropdrop
drop
drop
drop
squashsquash
squash
squash
squash
push
push
push
push
push
pullpull
pull
pull
pull
kisskiss
kiss
kisskiss
hit
hit
hithit
hit
kick
kick
kick
kick
kick
bitebite
bite
bite
bite
2.5
5.0
7.5
10.0
−1 0 1Semantics
Rat
ing
(raw
)
Sentenceaaaaa
Active
Passive_a
Passive_basic
Passive_ka
Passive_ma
Mandarin passive: affectedness of SUBJ
see
see
see
see
know
know
knowknow
lookat
lookat
lookat
lookat
miss
miss
miss
miss
spot
spot
spot
spot
notice
notice
notice
notice
admire
admire
admire
admire
watch
watch
watch
watch
follow
follow
follow
follow
remember
remember
remember
remember
believe
believe
believe
believe
recognize
recognize
recognize
recognize
chase
chase
chase
chase
like
like
like
like
trust
trust
trust
trust
understand
understand
understand
understand
forget
forget
forget
forget
love
love
love
love
ignore
ignore
ignore
ignore
teach
teach
teach
teach
cheerup
cheerup
cheerup
cheerup
dislike
dislike
dislike
dislike
entertain
entertain
entertain
entertain
calm
calm
calm
calm
lead
lead
lead
lead
please
please
please
please
hate
hate
hate
hatedisgustdisgust
disgust
disgusthold
hold
hold
hold
distract
distract
distract
distract
bother
bother
bother
bother
pull
pull
pull
pull
scare
scare
scare
scare
hug
hug
hug
hug
push
push
push
pushamuseamuse
amuse
amuse
disturb
disturb
disturb
disturb
shock
shock
shock
shock
pat
pat
pat
pat
tease
tease
tease
tease
startle
startle
startle
startleterrify
terrify
terrify
terrifyfrighten
frighten
frighten
frighten
kiss
kiss
kiss
kissangeranger
anger
anger
sadden
sadden
sadden
sadden
carry
carry
carry
carry
irritate
irritate
irritate
irritate
amaze
amaze
amaze
amaze
help
help
help
help
kick
kick
kick
kickeateat
eat
eatbite
bite
bite
bitesquashsquash
squash
squash
dropdrop
drop
drop
cut
cut
cut
cuthit
hit
hit
hit
1
2
3
4
5
−1 0 1 2Semantics
Rat
ing
(raw
) Sentenceaaaa
Active_S_BA_OV
Active_SVO
Passive_Notional_OSV
Passive_O_BEI_SV
English/Hebrew Causatives: Event Merge
Hindi/Japanese Causatives: Event Merge
frown
delight
bake
hop
rise
come
stay
stop
drink
burn
expand
laugh
dissolve
startmeltgrow
sleepmoan
giggleeat
madden
enlarge
diegroan
leak
shrink
freeze
cook
grin
sing
defrost
glitter
chortle
jump
exit
lend
wait
livevanish
amuse
boildisappear
run
cry
shatter ascend
destroydeflate
climb
glowtumble
smile
swim
roll
go
crash
improve
change
appear
tickle
offer
sawwhack
break
kill
alter
frysmash
descend
bounce
fall
rip
bend
inflate
talk
lift
strikehoist
slide
enter
snap
turn
demolish
crack
tap
feed
kickmash
crease
peck
closetear
crushstroke
move
slicehitraise
pay
split
dropcutsquash
give
fold
bring
begin
kiss
take
arrive
bite
lowerchopopen
slash
leave
touch
frown
delight
bake
hop
rise
come stay
stop
drink
burn
expand
laugh
dissolve
start melt
grow
sleepmoan giggle
eat
madden
enlarge
die
groan
leak
shrinkfreeze
cook
grin
sing
defrost
chuckleglitter chortle
jump
exit
lend
wait
live
vanishamuse
boil
disappear
run
cry
shatterascend
destroy
deflate
climb
glow
tumble
smileswim
roll
go
crash
improve
change
appear
tickle
offersaw
whack
break
kill
alter
frysmash
descend
bounce
fall
rip
bend
inflate
talk
lift
strike
hoistslide
enter
snap
turn
demolish
crack
tap
feedkick
mash
crease
peck
close
tearcrushstroke
slice
hit
raisepay
split
nudge
punch
drop
cut
squash
give
fold
bringbegin
kiss
take
arrive
bite
lower
chop
open
slash
leave
touch
frown
delight
bake
hop
rise
come
stay
stop
drink
burn
expand
laugh
dissolvestart
melt
grow
sleep
moan
giggleeat
madden
enlarge
diegroan
leak
shrinkfreeze
cook
grin
sing
defrost
chuckleglitterchortle
jump
exit
lend
wait
live
vanish
amuse
boil
disappear
run
cry
shatter
ascend
destroy
deflate
climb
glow
tumble
smile
swim
roll
go
crash
improve
change
appear
tickle
offer sawbreak
killfry
descend
fall
rip
bend
talk
lift
enter
demolish
crack
crease
peckmove
nudgedrop give
fold
arrive
biteopen
slashleave touch
Adults
9−10 Years
5−6 Years
−2 −1 0 1
−1
0
1
−1
0
1
−1
0
1
0 <−−−Two separate events (INT) −−−− One single event (TRN) −−−> 100
Rat
ing
(raw
)
Transitive judgments as a function of verb semantics
English transitives: Event Merge(similar results for ages 5-6 and 9-10)
Lexical restrictions on grammatical relations
Often treated as semi-arbitrary
At least at the level of verb argument structure they’re often (though probably not always) semantically motivated: The semantics of the verb must fit with the semantics of the construction (e.g., Pinker, 1989; Goldberg, 1995).Can’t usually tell just by eyeballing some examples: Need fine grained semantic measures
Links to studies
• English datives, locatives, un-prefixation: [open access]• English passives: [open access]• Indonesian passives: [OSF]• Mandarin passives: https://osf.io/6p7mw/files/• Crosslinguistic causatives:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104310 and (children-only): [osf]
• Balinese causatives: [OSF]• English (in)transitives: [OSF]