A Cognitive Account of the Constraints on Possessor-Ascension Constructions

Abstract

This paper discusses the proper characterization of possessor ascension (PA) constructions in Korean and other languages, pointing out the difficulty of formulating constraints either syntactically or in terms of well-defined semantic roles. It is also argued that describing the constraint of possessor ascension process simply as possessive relationship is not specific enough to characterize the possible condition in which possessor ascension can actually take place. Thus, we propose a cognitive account that explains the constraints of PA constructions semantico-pragmatically. The proposed analysis stresses the importance of the 'affectedness' of the possessor and lays greater emphasis on the 'contiguity' between the possessor and the possessed over the 'inalienablity' of the possessed. The crucial factor in P A process is whether or not the possessor is cognitively contiguous with the possessed object in an event, and the possessor is thought to be affected by the event. The constraints of affectedness and contiguity explains more accurately the PA process than inalienability.