Localizing cross-linguistic variation in Tense systems: On telicity and stativity in Swedish and English

2012 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-70
Author(s):  
Björn Lundquist
Keyword(s):  
Romance Languages ◽  
Linguistic Variation ◽  
Verb Morphology ◽  
Reference Time ◽  
Lexical Aspect ◽  
Temporal Interpretation ◽  
Viewpoint Aspect ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Made In

It is well known that the aktionsart/lexical aspect of a predicate influences the temporal interpretation and the aspectual marking of a sentence, and also that languages differ with respect to which aktionsart properties feed into the tense-aspect system (see e.g. Bohnemeyer & Swift 2004). In this paper, I try to pin down the exact locus of variation between languages where the stative–dynamic distinction is mainly grammaticized (e.g. English, Saamáka) and languages where the telic–atelic distinction is mainly grammaticized (e.g. Swedish, Chinese and Russian). The focus will be on the differences between English and Swedish, and I will argue that these two languages crucially differ in the nature of Assertion Time (or Topic/Reference Time, Klein 1994, Demirdache & Uribe-Etxebarria 2000): whereas the assertion time in English is always punctual in imperfective contexts, assertion time in Swedish can extend to include minimal stages of events. The Assertion Time is introduced by a (viewpoint) aspect head that is present in both languages, but not phonologically realized. The difference can thus not be ascribed to the presence or absence of overt tense, aspect or verb morphology, or to a special tense value, as argued in one way or other by, for example, Giorgi & Pianesi (1997), Demirdache & Uribe-Etxebarria (2000) and Ramchand (2012). Once this factor (i.e. the nature of Assertion Time) has been isolated, it becomes evident that all verbs in English and Swedish, regardless of telicity or dynamicity, can be assigned either a perfective or an imperfective value. Moreover, I will argue that the English progressive–non-progressive (or ‘simple’) distinction is independent of viewpoint aspect (i.e. the perfective– imperfective distinction) made in, for example, the Romance languages.

Inflected Infinitives Revisited: Genericity and Single Event

1998 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela Ambar
Keyword(s):  
Subject Position ◽  
Romance Languages ◽  
Past Participle ◽  
Single Event ◽  
Temporal Interpretation ◽  
Temporal Features ◽  
Minimalist Approach ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Infinitival Complements

AbstractThis article argues for a minimalist approach to the variation between Romance languages with respect to the generic interpretation associated with infinitival complements of epistemic verbs. It is proposed that epistemic verbs have inherent temporal features and that they assign a tense feature to their complement. These features are checked under a Spec-head relation through two temporal projections, related either to the object position or the subject position. The variation observed between Portuguese and French, Italian and Spanish with respect to the event interpretation of infinitives is formulated in terms of the strong/weak status of the [+specific] feature of Tense. The difference in the temporal interpretation of the inflected infinitives with respect to the presence or absence of thehave+ past participle sequence is derived from the hypothesis that the tense of the participle raises to the TP projection that c-commands it when it is morphologically invisible, the indicative present being visible in Portuguese, but not in the other languages.

Causation, Explanation, and the Metaphysics of Aspect

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradford Skow
Keyword(s):  
Background Condition ◽  
Structural Explanation ◽  
Levels Of Explanation ◽  
Lexical Aspect ◽  
The Third ◽  
Main Verb ◽  
The Difference ◽  
In Virtue Of

This book aims to answer the following questions: what is the difference between a cause and a background condition? What is it to manifest a disposition? Can dispositions be extrinsic? What is the most basic kind of causation? And, what might a structural explanation be? Each chapter takes up a subset of these questions; the chapters are written to be readable independently. The answers defended rely on three ideas. Two of those ideas use a distinction from the study of lexical aspect, namely the distinction between stative verbs and non-stative verbs. The first idea is that events go with non-stative verbs, in the sense that “If S, then an event occurred in virtue of the fact that S” is true when the main verb in the clause going in for “S” is non-stative. The second is that acting, doing something, goes with non-stative verbs, in the sense that “In Ving X did something” is true iff V is a non-stative verb. The third idea is about levels of explanation: “(A because B) because C” does not entail “A because C.”

The Romance languages and the Romance verb

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Maiden
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Data ◽  
Romance Languages ◽  
Verb Morphology

In the first part of the chapter the Romance languages are defined, and the (largely negative) significance of the distinction between a language and a dialect for the morphological data is discussed. The sources for the data on verb morphology are reviewed, and some criteria for assessing the validity of these data are examined. Finally, a comparative–historical structural sketch of the morphology of the Latin and Romance verb is given.

scholarly journals XIX. On the difference of meridians of the Royal Observatories of Greenwich and Paris

1827 ◽  
Vol 117 ◽  
pp. 286-296 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Detailed Account ◽  
Sidereal Time ◽  
Methods Of Calculation ◽  
Royal Observatory ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Made In

In the Philosophical Transactions for 1826, Part II. Mr. Herschel has given a detailed account of observations, which were made in the month of July, 1825, for the purpose of ascertaining the difference of the meridians of the Royal Observatories of Greenwich and Paris, with a computation of these observations, from which the most probable value of the difference of longitude appears to be 9 m 21 s. 6. But I have perceived that in the copy of the observations delivered to him from the Royal Observatory of Greenwich, an error of one second has been committed; as the true sidereal time of the observation made there on 21st July, ought to be 17 h 38 m 57·12 in place of 17 h 38 m 56 s. 10, set down in the Table p. 104, which he informs me was computed at the Observatory, and officially communicated to him from the Astronomer Royal. This error seems to have had its origin in the little Table at the bottom of page 103; for, on subtracting the error of the clock, 47 s. 37, from the time 18 h 8 m 30 s. 40, the true sidereal time is 18 h 7 m 43 s. 03, instead of 18 h 7 m 42 s. 03, there given. The error in the result of that day’s observations, arising from this cause, has been partly compensated by a mistake of three tenths of a second, which has occurred in calculating the combined observations of the same day, the gain of mean on sidereal time being stated to be — 4 s. 54 (pp. 120 and 122), in place of — 4 s. 24. On checking the other observations, a few trifling alterations appear to be necessary upon the Greenwich Table of sidereal time, from the data given along with it. These seem to be occasioned by different methods of calculation, and indeed are hardly worthy of notice. The French astronomers not having given the data on which the calculations of the sidereal times at Paris are founded, they are assumed to be correct.

Neural network processing of radar scanning data array

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.E. Dmitriyev ◽  
D.V. Popov ◽  
V.A. Shakhnov
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Perception ◽  
Digital Processing ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
Information Value ◽  
Data Array ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Distribution Of Values ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Radar Data Processing ◽  
Made In

This article deals with the digital processing of a matrix radar image. The information received from the radar scanner needs to be transformed to enable visual perception. The article describes the main methods of digital processing of matrix data, presents the images transformed by them. The aim of the article was the development of a radar data processing algorithm that identifies the contours and edges of examined objects. The authors propose an algorithm for isolating the geometric structure of the scanned area. The difference between the processing method and the known analogues is based on the nature of the change in the values of the array being processed and consists in the double operation of extracting the gradient of the distribution of values. The software implementation of the algorithm is made in C++ using methods from an open library of computer vision. The efficiency of the algorithm was estimated based on comparison with the algorithms for determining edges based on linear filtering and neural networks. The results of the work can be used to create software for mobile short-range radar devices. Imaging from object boundaries and their edges provides spatial perception of the image by the operator, and free areas are available for rendering additional information. This solution allows you to combine scanning devices and thereby increase the information value of the result.

scholarly journals XXXIV. Observations on the transit of Ve­nus, June the 6th, 1761, made in Spital-Square; the longitude of which is 4' 11" west of the Royal Observatory at Green­wich, and the latitude 51° 31' 15" north

1761 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 182-183
Keyword(s):  
The Sun ◽  
Royal Observatory ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Made In

Having measured the diameter of Venus, on the sun, three times, with the object-glass micrometer, the mean was found to be 58 seconds; and but 6/10 of a second, the difference of the extremes.

Studies on the storage of potatoes II. The temperature conditions inside potato clamps

1950 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Crook ◽  
D. J. Watson
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Heat Production ◽  
First Year ◽  
Temperature Conditions ◽  
Mean Temperature ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Made In

Continuous records of the temperature of potatoes stored in clamps were made in 1942–3 (one clamp) and in 1943–4 (three clamps). In the first year, the temperatures at various positions in the clamp coverings were also recorded.The temperature at the middle of the potato heap showed a drift with time similar to that of mean air temperature. Deviations of mean air temperature from smooth trend, lasting for about a week, had no effect on the temperature of the potatoes; longerperiod deviations were reflected in the temperature of the potatoes after a lag of about a week. The difference in weekly mean temperature between potatoes and external air averaged about 1–5° C. in 1943–4. In 1942–3 it was greater, increasing to over 20° C. in April, because bacterial rotting of the potatoes following blight infection increased the rate of heat production and caused the clamp to collapse at the end of April.

The prevalence of ethnocentric tendencies in Bangladesh

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamgid Ahmed Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Developed Countries ◽  
Consumer Products ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Rigorous Study ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Developed Countries ◽  
Made In

Purpose – This paper aims to argue that the traditional belief that “consumer ethnocentrism is a phenomenon of the developed countries only” is no longer true. To establish this argument, our study assesses the applicability of the Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale (CETSCALE) in Bangladesh by judging the unidimensionality feature of the same. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology is based on sample of 788 respondents collected from 27 border and non-border districts of Bangladesh. Findings – Statistically significant results show that for the consumers of border and non-border districts, the original CETSCALE is, to a great extent, applicable as those groups have shown positive attitudes in retaining 12-14 items out of the 17 items of the original scale. However, the groups and the respondents as a whole did not agree with the unidimensionality feature of the CETSCALE. Practical implications – The results of the study show that Bangladeshi consumers prefer to see “Made in Bangladesh” tags when buying consumer products – a significant potential threat that the multinational companies need to address while planning to expand business in Bangladesh. Originality/value – This type of rigorous study on Bangladesh has never been done before. Moreover, the study identifies the difference in ethnocentric behavior of the consumers living in border and non-border areas – a study of ethnocentrism from a different point of view.

scholarly journals The Deep Western Boundary Current at Cape Farewell: Results from a Moored Current Meter Array

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 815-829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheldon Bacon ◽  
Peter M. Saunders
Keyword(s):  
Western Boundary Current ◽  
Western Boundary ◽  
Boundary Current ◽  
Marked Contrast ◽  
The Core ◽  
Deep Western Boundary Current ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Long Term Trend ◽  
Made In

Abstract An analysis is made of data from 30 Aanderaa recording current meters (RCMs) set on nine moorings located east of Cape Farewell, the southern tip of Greenland. The purpose of the measurements was to allow for the estimation of transport in the deep western boundary current (DWBC) below a depth of about 1500 m. The records commenced in September 2005 and lasted from 9.5 to 11.5 months. After calibration of the raw data, 12-h averages of temperature and current were derived and the latter employed to estimate the flow across and along the array direction. The 9.5-month average transport of water colder than 3°C was found to be 7.8 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 1 × 106 m3 s−1) with a standard error of 0.8 Sv. For water denser than σθ = 27.85 kg m−3, the transport is calculated as 4.5 Sv. Whether either of these values is significantly different from comparable measurements made 500 km upstream cannot be determined. In marked contrast, for σθ > 27.8 kg m−3, the transport is estimated as only 9.0 Sv, smaller than the widely accepted value of 13 Sv for nearby measurements made in 1978. A reevaluation of the calculations and assumptions made then allows one to determine the uncertainty of the earlier estimate and thereby conclude that the difference between the previous and present measurements is significant, that is, that the transport has decreased between 1978 and 2005–06. A weakening of the transport during the 9.5-month period is also observed, along with a warming and an increase in salinity in the core of the DWBC. These latter changes are shown to be consistent with interannual variability rather than a long-term trend.

I. Notes of observations on musical beats

1880 ◽  
Vol 30 (200-205) ◽  
pp. 520-533
Keyword(s):  
Tuning Fork ◽  
Musical Pitch ◽  
Tuning Forks ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Made In

During the last three years I have been greatly occupied with observing and counting musical beats, for the purpose of discovering the cause and amount of error in Appunn’s reed tonometer, and of measuring the number of vibrations made in a second by tuning-forks and organs, as materials for my “ History of Musical Pitch.” The following are brief notes of some of the observations then made :— When two musical notes nearly but not accurately form a consonance, or are in unison, they beat. Under ordinary circumstances the number of beats in a second of a disturbed unison is equal to the difference of the number of double vibrations in a second made by each note. It is not so always, as will be shown later on. If x and y be the “ pitch ” or number of vibrations in a second, made by two musical tones, of which y is the sharper ; then, if my — nx =0, the tones form what I have termed a considence , that is, the n th partial of x falls on the same rank or seat as the m th partial of y . Considences are not always consonances, because other partials of the notes may beat roughly, as when m : n = 8 : 9 or 9 :10 or 15 :16, which are well known dissonances, but give appreciable considences. But if the pitch of either x or y be slightly altered, so that my — nx =± b , the two consident partials become what I have termed dissident , or placed on different ranks or seats, and b beats in a second are heard, being called “ sharp” when positive, that is when my > nx , and “ flat ” when negative, that is when my < nx . This includes the unison for which m = n . Hence all beats heard are beats of simple partial tones , however compound may be the tones which contain them. This agrees thoroughly with my observations. Tuning-forks are comparatively simple but always possess an audible second partial or octave, and sometimes higher partials still, capable of being so reinforced by resonance jars properly tuned to them, that beats can be separately obtained from them and counted. This is a matter of great importance in the construction of a tuning-fork tonometer. When the tone is very compound, as in the case of bass reeds (especially those of Appunn’s tonometer, furnished with a bellows giving, when properly managed, a perfectly steady blast for an indefinite length of time), beats can be obtained and counted from the 20th to the 30th and even the 40th partial, without any reinforce­ment by a resonance jar.

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