Associated Path in Kaytetye

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper proposes new analyses of the semantics and morphosyntactic structure of Associated Motion [AM] constructions in Kaytetye. AM constructions have been analysed as word-level constructions, with a significant non-compositional component in the semantics. We propose that these constructions are syntactic phrasal constructions with generally compositional semantics which associate a path with a predicate, and we term them Associated Path [AP] constructions. AP constructions make use of two word-level constituents in a configurational relationship: (i) a finite path auxiliary; and (ii) a participial lexical verb. Depending on the semantics of the path auxiliary and the lexical verb, AP constructions are commonly interpreted as involving motion, but motion interpretations are not an inherent requirement of the AP construction.