Abstract:
In this talk I will discuss the syntax and semantics of prenominal possessives in Russian. These are expressions like in (1).
- a. maš-in-a kniga
Masha-POSS-F.SG.NOM book.F.SG.NOM
'Masha's book'
b. mam-in-y ključi
mother-POSS-PL.NOM keys.PL.NOM
'My mom's keys'
Traditionally prenominal possessives are classified as adjectives. (Isachenko 1960; Vinogradov 1960; Townsend 1980). However, in more recent work by Babyonyshev (1997) it is claimed that prenominal possessives are functional elements hosted outside nominal phrase, which means that they cannot be adjectives. This claim is based on the ability of possessives to fill an agent argument of event nominals – as shown in (2) and on the fact that the possessor is always specific in the context. Babyonyshev (1997) argues that possessives are nominals that have undergone N-to-D raising following Longobardi (1994) in assuming that D-position is associated with reference.
- mam-in-o postojannoje vyraženije nedovol'tsva
mom-POSS-N.SG.NOM constant.N.NOM expression.N.NOM displeasure.N.NOM
'Mom's constant expression of displeasure'
In this talk:
1. I will provide evidence, based on distribution facts, that possessives are adjectives:
prenominal possessives can mingle with other adjectives; they can occur in predicative positions without undergoing semantic shifts.
2. I will show that the semantic function of possessive adjectives is to modify a relation via saturating one of the arguments of this relation.
If the head noun denotes a relation, it can naturally combine with a possessive adjective:
- Petin drug 'Petya's friend': λRλx.R(x,PETYA) (λyλx.FRIENDw(x,y))
λx.FRIENDw(x,PETYA)
If the head noun is sortal, it will shift to a relational interpretation and then combine with the possessive. The relation is pragmatically provided in (4): the dress that Masha owns, the dress she designed, and etc.
- a. λx.DRESSw(x) ® λxλy.DRESSw(x) Ù ofw(x,y)
b. Mašino platje 'Masha's dress':
λRλx.R(x,MASHA)
(λxλy.DRESSw(x) Ù ofw(x,y))
(λx.DRESSw(x) Ù ofw(x,MASHA)
Our analysis correctly predicts the patterns of behavior of nouns with optional arguments (e.g. portrait) modified by possessive adjectives. A prenominal possessive will aim at saturating an argument of a relation. What kind of relation is available for it to apply to depends on the number of arguments that the noun has and which of these arguments are explicitly expressed by other grammatical forms (e.g. a postnominal genitive construction).
