The Lexicon
The Lexicon
The lexicon is
a speaker's mental dictionary of his language. There are two views
of the lexicon. Both must contain the following:
The lexicon contains all unpredictable information about a given lexical item
Other bits of information to be included in the lexicon are omitted here:
verb, noun, preposition,
and adjective classes and the lexicon
All verbs and adjectives require a subject NP.
intransitive:
Mollie died
die orthographic form verb category 1 arguments ____ subcategorization DIE lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 Someone cried.
cry orthographic form verb: category 1 arguments ____ subcategorization CRY lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 The dogs pant.
pant orthographic form verb category 1 arguments ____ subcategorization PANT lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 Intransitive + transitive PP complement. Note that the verb subcatgegoarizes a PP with a specific preposition:
John relies on his brother-in-law.
rely orthographic form verb category 2 arguments ____ [PP on NP ] subcategorization RELY lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 goal theta role of argument 2 Marsha depends on welfare.
depend orthographic form verb category ____ [PP on NP ] subcategorization DEPEND lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 goal theta role of argument 2 Intransitive + intransitive PP complement: Phrasal verb where the P is a pseudo-complement. In the second column the phrase verb is syntactically a phrasal verb--it consists of two lexemes V and P. There is no pseudo-complement:
The enemy gave up.
give orthographic form give orthographic form verb category verb category 1 arguments 1 arguments ____ [PP up] subcategorization ____ subcategorization GIVE UP lexical form GIVE UP lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 agent theta role of argument 1 Mollie passed out.
pass out orthographic form pass out orthographic form verb category verb category 1 arguments 1 arguments ____ [PP out] subcategorization ____ subcategorization PASS lexical form PASS OUT lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 agent theta role of argument 1 Intransitive + optional transitive PP complement
The boat sank (to the bottom). (Technically, the meaning of sink implies to the bottom. The preposition are predictable.)
sink orthographic form verb category 1 (2) arguments ____ ([PP to/towards NP]) subcategorization SINK lexical form theme theta role of argument 1 goal theta role of argument 2 The salesman hid under the bed.
hide orthographic form verb category 1 (2) arguments ____ (PP) subcategorization HIDE lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 locative theta role of argument 2 The dog barked (at me).
bark orthographic form verb category 1 (2) arguments ____ ([PP at NP)] subcategorization BARK lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 goal theta role of argument 1 Intransitive + multiple PP complements
The robber ran from the jewelry store past the bank down the street.
run orthographic form verb category 1 (2, 3, 4) arguments ____ (PP) (PP) (PP) subcategorization RUN lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 source theta role of argument 2 path theta role of argument 3 goal theta role of argument 4 Ester swam from England through the Channel to France.
swim orthographic form verb category 1 (2, 3, 4) arguments ____ (PP) (PP) (PP) subcategorization SWIM lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 source theta role of argument 2 path theta role of argument 3 goal theta role of argument 4 Transitive
Socrates saw a tree.
see orthographic form verb category 2 arguments ____ NP subcategorization SEE (perceive) lexical form experiencer theta role of argument 1 theme theta role of argument 2 Bill devoured a dinosaur.
devour orthographic form verb category 2 arguments ____ NP subcategorization DEVOUR lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 patient or theme? theta role of argument 2 Transitive (optional complement)
Mary Ann smokes (stale cigarillos).
smoke orthographic form verb category 1 (2) arguments ____ (NP) subcategorization SMOKE lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 patient theta role of argument 2 Henry threw up (his dinosaur steak). Henry threw (his dinosaur steak) up.
throw up orthographic form throw up orthographic form verb category verb category 2 arguments 2 orthographic form ____ (NP) subcategorization ____ (NP) [PP up] subcategorization THROW UP lexical form lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 theta role of argument 1 theme theta role of argument 2 theta role of argument 2 Ditransitive [most analyses of ditransitive verbs are incorrect--the closest thing to the correct answer is very complex].
Bill gave John a fifth of corn whiskey.
give orthographic form verb category 3 arguments ____ NP NP subcategorization GIVE lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 goal theta role of argument 2 theme theta role of argument 3 Barney owes his brother a pack of smokes.
owe orthographic form verb category 3 arguments ____ NP NP subcategorization OWE lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 goal theta role of argument 2 theme theta role of argument 3 Transitive plus PP
Polly put Pete in the high-chair.
put orthographic form verb category 3 arguments ____ NP PP subcategorization PUT lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 theme theta role of argument 2 goal theta role of argument 3 The aging old prof set his books on the radiator.
set orthographic form verb category 3 arguments ____ NP PP subcategorization SET lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 theme theta role of argument 2 goal theta role of argument 3 Transitive plus optional PP
The cat chased the dog (up a tree).
chase orthographic form verb category 2 (3) arguments ____ NP (PP) subcategorization CHASE lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 theme theta role of argument 2 goal theta role of argument 3 Terry placed his bet (on the lamest horse).
place orthographic form verb category ____ NP (on NP) subcategorization MAKE BET lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 theme theta role of argument 2 goal theta role of argument 3 Transitive with optional complement and optional PP
Dolly reads (books) (to her children).
read orthographic form verb category ____ (NP) (PP) subcategorization READ lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 theme theta role of argument 2 goal theta role of argument 3 Mr. Tadeuszski sings (awful songs) (to his class).
sing orthographic form verb category ____ (NP) (PP) subcategorization SING lexical form theta role of argument 1 theta role of argument 2 theta role of argument 3 Intransitive nouns
Tanya nicked her finger.
finger orthographic form noun category ____ subcategorization FINGER lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 Transitive nouns (PP is a true complement)
Paul Bunyon drank a short of vodka.
shot orthographic form noun category ____ PP subcategorization SMALL GLASS lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 theme theta role of argument 2 Transitive noun plus optional complement and PP
The gift (of a fur coat) (to Mary) shocked her ex.
gift orthographic form noun category ____ (PP) (PP) subcategorization GIFT lexical form theme theta role of argument 1 goal theta role of argument 2 Intransitive adjective
The book is new.
new orthographic form adjective category ____ subcategorization NEW lexical form Transitive adjective (PP is a true complement)
Syntax is boring to some people.
boring orthographic form adjective category ____ subcategorization BORING lexical form theme theta role of argument 1 goal theta role of argument 2 Intransitive preposition
Melissa walked away.
away orthographic form preposition category ____ subcategorization AWAY lexical form direction theta role of argument 1 Transitive preposition:
The starlet walked toward the director.
toward orthographic form preposition category ____ (NP) subcategorization TOWARD lexical form location theta role of argument 1 Transitive preposition with optional complement:
Kyle threw his old socks out (the window).
out orthographic form preposition category ____ (NP) subcategorization OUT lexical form location theta role of argument 1 Transitive preposition with optional PP complement
The cat scampered up to the top of the tree.
up orthographic form preposition category ____ (PP) subcategorization UP lexical form goal theta role of argument 1 transitive verb with two arguments
on orthographic form preposition category ____ NP subcategorization ON lexical form theme theta role of argument 1 location theta role of argument 2 Intransitive verb with optional CP complement
John said that he was coming.
say orthographic form verb category ____ (CP) subcategorization SAY lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 theme theta role of argument 2 Intransitive verb with CP complement
Millie dreamt (that she was a soprano).
dream orthographic form verb category ____ (CP) subcategorization DREAM lexical form experiencer theta role of argument 1 theme theta role of argument 2 Intransitive verb with optional CP complement
Henry told Dr. Heisenberg that he was deathly ill.
tell orthographic form verb category ____ NP (CP) subcategorization TELL lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 goal theta role of argument 2 theme theta role of argument 3 Intransitive verb with optional PP and CP complements:
Medusa whispered (to Orpheus) (that Achilles broke his heel).
whisper orthographic form verb category ____ (PP) (CP) subcategorization WHISPER lexical form agent theta role of argument 1 goal theta role of argument 2 theme theta role of argument 3 Noun plus optional CP complement:
The fact (that the earth is flat) amazed Albert.
fact orthographic form noun category ____ (CP) subcategorization FACT lexical form theme theta role of argument 1
This page last updated 11 AP 2000
