Jorgensen and Lonning 1

Section 1 ('Introduction') of Fredrik Jorgensen and Jan Tore Lonning (2008): A Minimal Recursion Semantic Analysis of Locatives (CL 35(2):229-270)

1. 'Kim slept [in Paris]' - this is a static locative, which locates the whole event.

2. 'Kim is driving into Paris' - this is a directional locative, which specifies the trajectory of the motion.

3. 'The mouse ran [under the table]' - this locative is ambiguous between static (cf. 'The mouse ran around [under the table]') and directional (cf. 'The mouse ran under the table and stayed there' or 'The mouse ran under the table into a hole in the wall').

4. 'A mouse appeared [from under the table]' - this locative is directional, but specifies the source of the trajectory, rather than the goal or some midpoint.

5. 'Kim put the book [on/onto the table]' - the locative can be either (intrinsically) static or directional, but is always interpreted as a goal (thanks to the verb meaning).

6. 'A child ran [down] [under the bridge]' - here we have two directional locatives, one intransitive, one transitive. How can their semantics be composed?