The syntax and semantics of the cognate object construction

Abstract

This paper proposes a unified analysis of the cognate object construction and the intransitive unergative sentence. Based on the assumption that the cognate object construction is an alternation of the unergative construction, the lexical and syntactic structures of the two constructions are presented. It is argued that the three readings of the cognate object construction correspond to the three-way distinction between DP and NP proposed in Borer (1994). This correspondence enables us to explore not only the cognate object construction but also the cognate object itself, focusing on referentiality and event structure.∗. © 1996, The English Linguistic Society of Japan. All rights reserved.