[Lingtyp] semantics of object clauses of perception verbs

[Juergen Bohnemeyer]

I would think of it more in terms of iconicity than in terms of markedness:

Suppose the grammar of a particular language provides for both finite and nonfinite complements.

Suppose furthermore that the members of the speech community frequently communicate about both event perception and propositional inference.

In this situation, I would assume that nonfinite complements become an attractor for the event perception meaning, whereas finite complements become an attractor for the propositional inference meaning.

Why? Perhaps the simplest explanation would be that propositional inference complements have independent time reference, whereas event perception complements refer to events that necessarily unfold contemporaneously with the perception event.

One could also say that the independent vs. dependent time reference contrast is simply a special case of a broader contrast, whereby event perception is conceptually simpler than propositional inference.

Best – Juergen

Juergen Bohnemeyer (He/Him)
Professor, Department of Linguistics
University at Buffalo

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From: Christian Lehmann <christian.lehmann at uni-erfurt.de>
Date: Sunday, August 27, 2023 at 18:49
To: Juergen Bohnemeyer <jb77 at buffalo.edu>, lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org <lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org>
Subject: Re: [Lingtyp] semantics of object clauses of perception verbs

Thank you very much, that is sufficient for present purposes (although alternative terms from the floor remain welcome). I doubt, though, that every use of the 'that' variant of this construction conveys an inference. It would rather appear to be the unmarked variant, such that subordination by something like 'how' is the marked variant insisting on event perception.
Am 27.08.2023 um 10:43 schrieb Juergen Bohnemeyer:
Yes. Personally, I like ‘event perception’ vs. ‘propositional inference’. ‘Event perception’ for the “direct” case has certainly been used elsewhere, though I would have to google it to be sure where. See for example here:

https://ub01.uni-tuebingen.de/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10900/47121/pdf/Maienborn_2011_Event_semantics.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Best – Juergen

Juergen Bohnemeyer (He/Him)
Professor, Department of Linguistics
University at Buffalo

Office: 642 Baldy Hall, UB North Campus
Mailing address: 609 Baldy Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260
Phone: (716) 645 0127
Fax: (716) 645 3825
Email: jb77 at buffalo.edu<mailto:jb77 at buffalo.edu>
Web: http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~jb77/

Office hours Tu/Th 3:30-4:30pm in 642 Baldy or via Zoom (Meeting ID 585 520 2411; Passcode Hoorheh)

There’s A Crack In Everything - That’s How The Light Gets In
(Leonard Cohen)
--


From: Lingtyp <lingtyp-bounces at listserv.linguistlist.org><mailto:lingtyp-bounces at listserv.linguistlist.org> on behalf of Christian Lehmann <christian.lehmann at uni-erfurt.de><mailto:christian.lehmann at uni-erfurt.de>
Date: Sunday, August 27, 2023 at 18:33
To: lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org<mailto:lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org> <lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org><mailto:lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org>
Subject: [Lingtyp] semantics of object clauses of perception verbs

Please: what are the technical terms for the semantic contrast between 'she saw that the foreigner passed by' and 'she saw how the foreigner passed by'? (I just found it in Cabecar.)

Thanks in advance,

Christian
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Prof. em. Dr. Christian Lehmann
Rudolfstr. 4
99092 Erfurt
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Tel.:
+49/361/2113417
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christianw_lehmann at arcor.de<mailto:christianw_lehmann at arcor.de>
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--

Prof. em. Dr. Christian Lehmann
Rudolfstr. 4
99092 Erfurt
Deutschland
Tel.:
+49/361/2113417
E-Post:
christianw_lehmann at arcor.de<mailto:christianw_lehmann at arcor.de>
Web:
https://www.christianlehmann.eu<https://www.christianlehmann.eu/>

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