Distributional Semantic Modeling of SC-Pair Polish Aspectual Verbs
Matthew Micyk
Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication, University of Amsterdam
Jelke Bloem
Institute for Logic, Language and Computation, University of Amsterdam
Current theoretical literature concerning the aspectual opposition of verbs in Polish categorizes relationships between aspectual pairs in several different ways - suffixal pairs, multiplicative-semelfactive pairs (MS-pairs), simplex-complex pairs (SC-pairs), and suppletive pairs. SC-pairs are comprised of a simplex imperfective verb and a compound perfective verb which consists of the simplex imperfective verb with the addition of a prefix. This prefix has been termed an ‘empty’ prefix, but this characterization is no longer considered strictly true. Previously, these prefixes have been described as lexically empty and only contributing a grammatical value of perfective aspect. However, they are now described as contributing a lexico-semantic value of terminative to the simplex imperfective verb which is not inherently terminative but can be terminative in specific contexts.
Distributional semantic modeling provides insight into the semantic similarity of terms based on their co-occurrence in contexts which are similar or the same. The more often that both the imperfective and perfective verbs in an SC-pair occur in contexts which are similar or the same, the closer the relationship between the paired verbs. This relationship of adding a prefix which contributes the feature Terminativity and creates an aspectual partner to a simplex imperfective verb without modifying the lexical content of the verb contrasts with the process of lexical derivation whereby the addition of a prefix does modify the lexical content of the verb and creates a new lexical item. By comparing the similarity of SC-pairs grouped by which prefix is featured in the compound perfective partner, I aim to look at which prefixes are used most often to contribute this feature of Terminativity and create a compound perfective partner to a simplex imperfective verb without modifying the lexical content of the verb. The findings of my distributional semantic modeling inquiry generally pattern after previous research into which prefixes most often appear as ‘empty’ as they have been traditionally discussed in the literature on Slavic aspectology. This outcome simultaneously contributes validity to the use of distributional semantic modeling in the realm of theoretical linguistics and strengthens the previous findings in the realm of Slavic aspectology about which prefixes more often contribute the feature Terminativity without any additional lexical value.