Semelfactive
In this article we will explore Semelfactive from different perspectives, with the aim of offering a complete and enriching analysis of this topic. We will delve into its origins, evolution and relevance today, as well as its possible implications and applications in various fields. Through research and reflection, we seek to provide the reader with a broad and detailed vision of Semelfactive, inviting them to immerse themselves in its study and understanding from different angles. Without a doubt, this is an extremely interesting and constantly developing topic, from which countless reflections and interpretations will emerge that will enrich our understanding of it.
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In linguistics, semelfactives are a type of aktionsart or lexical aspect, which is a property of verbs and other predicates representing the temporal flow of an event. A semelfactive describes a very brief event which ends by returning to its initial state, making it capable of being repeated. Semelfactive verbs in English include "blink", "sneeze", and "knock".
As a kind of aktionsart, the temporal information of semelfactives is incorporated into the verb's root itself, rather than through auxiliary verbs or morphological inflections as in other types of aspect. The use of the term "semelfactive" is analogous to iterative aspect in the realm of grammatical aspect.
A semelfactive event is punctual or non-durative, since it happens suddenly and lasts only a moment. According to Bernard Comrie, who first posited the idea of semelfactive as a category of aktionsart, the event represented by a semelfactive verb is also perfective (treated as a complete action with no explicit internal temporal structure) and atelic (not having a goal).[1] However, Kearns notes there is no consensus on whether semelfactives should be considered telic or atelic. Kearns considers semelfactives to be bounded but atelic, where telicity is understood as a kind of boundedness.[2]
References
- ^ Comrie, Bernard (1976). Aspect: An introduction to the study of verbal aspect and related problems. Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521290456.
- ^ Kearns, Kate (2011). Semantics (2nd ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.
Further reading
- Smith, Carlota S. (1991). The Parameter of Aspect. Studies in Linguistics and Philosophy. Vol. 43. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer Netherlands. doi:10.1007/978-94-015-7911-7. ISBN 978-94-015-7911-7.
External links
The dictionary definition of semelfactive at Wiktionary
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