Articles producció científica> Estudis Anglesos i Alemanys

Generic and action-dependent abilities in Spanish 'Be capable'

  • Datos identificativos

    Identificador: imarina:5131540
    Autores:
    Castroviejo, ElenaOltra-Massuet, Isabel
    Resumen:
    This paper is concerned with the semantics of Spanish ser capaz 'be capable' (henceforth SC). Specifically, it aims to account for the distribution SC displays and the range of meanings it expresses in the realm of abilities, viewed as kinds of dispositions. We put forth the following generalization: Whenever imperfective aspect interacts with SC, two possible readings arise, one that is purely abilitative and another one that expresses an accidental or unpredictable state of affairs. Our claim is that both interpretations derive from a circumstantial modal base that includes the subject's inner circumstances, albeit with a different ordering source that is brought about via the interaction of imperfective aspect and the syntax-semantics of the modal. Thus, we propose that the purely abilitative SC contains an ordering source that ranks as better worlds those in which the subject appeals to her strength of the body, intellect or character; the accidental reading is the result of covert movement of the adjective capaz 'capable' over the imperfective-bearing copula ser 'be', which triggers a change of ordering source in the modal.
  • Otros:

    Autor según el artículo: Castroviejo, Elena; Oltra-Massuet, Isabel
    Departamento: Estudis Anglesos i Alemanys
    Autor/es de la URV: Oltra Massuet, Maria Isabel
    Palabras clave: Teoría lingüística Semántica Imperfective Epistemic modality Circumstantial modality Capacities Actuality entailment Abilitative modality
    Resumen: This paper is concerned with the semantics of Spanish ser capaz 'be capable' (henceforth SC). Specifically, it aims to account for the distribution SC displays and the range of meanings it expresses in the realm of abilities, viewed as kinds of dispositions. We put forth the following generalization: Whenever imperfective aspect interacts with SC, two possible readings arise, one that is purely abilitative and another one that expresses an accidental or unpredictable state of affairs. Our claim is that both interpretations derive from a circumstantial modal base that includes the subject's inner circumstances, albeit with a different ordering source that is brought about via the interaction of imperfective aspect and the syntax-semantics of the modal. Thus, we propose that the purely abilitative SC contains an ordering source that ranks as better worlds those in which the subject appeals to her strength of the body, intellect or character; the accidental reading is the result of covert movement of the adjective capaz 'capable' over the imperfective-bearing copula ser 'be', which triggers a change of ordering source in the modal.
    Áreas temáticas: Linguistics and language Linguistics Language and linguistics Language & linguistics Filologia, lingüística i sociolingüística
    ISSN: 23971835
    Direcció de correo del autor: isabel.oltra@urv.cat
    Identificador del autor: 0000-0003-2802-3856
    Fecha de alta del registro: 2024-10-12
    Versión del articulo depositado: info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
    URL Documento de licencia: https://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/
    Referencia al articulo segun fuente origial: Glossa. An Ambilingual Interdisciplinary Journal. 3 (1): 131-
    Referencia de l'ítem segons les normes APA: Castroviejo, Elena; Oltra-Massuet, Isabel (2018). Generic and action-dependent abilities in Spanish 'Be capable'. Glossa. An Ambilingual Interdisciplinary Journal, 3(1), 131-. DOI: 10.5334/gjgl.495
    Entidad: Universitat Rovira i Virgili
    Año de publicación de la revista: 2018
    Tipo de publicación: Journal Publications
  • Palabras clave:

    Language & Linguistics,Linguistics,Linguistics and Language
    Teoría lingüística
    Semántica
    Imperfective
    Epistemic modality
    Circumstantial modality
    Capacities
    Actuality entailment
    Abilitative modality
    Linguistics and language
    Linguistics
    Language and linguistics
    Language & linguistics
    Filologia, lingüística i sociolingüística
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