Resultative properties of stage-level predicates in Catalan: a study of perfective adjectives

Abstract

This paper examines the syntax of perfective adjectives in Catalan. These adjectives coexist with participles created from the same root, typically manifesting a complementary distribution, e.g., net - netejat ('clean - cleaned'). The study shows that perfective adjectives can be divided into two groups in Catalan: purely resultative adjectives, which always express a result, and resultative/I-level adjectives, which can express a result but may also convey a non-resultative meaning, namely the expression of an individual-level predicate. This exploration prompts a revision of stage-level adjectives that shows that these adjectives are always resultative in Catalan. A formal proposal is presented to analyse the syntax of perfective adjectives, in alignment with the discerned contrasts between stage-level and individual-level predicates. Furthermore, the analysis also delves into the distinction between resultative adjectives and resultative participles, confirming the existence of target and resultant states in Catalan.