Complex predicates, eventivity, and causative-inchoative alternation

The paper examines syntax and semantics of complex predicates in Ossetian, an Iranian language spoken in the Central Caucasus. Ossetian, being a language where complex predicates participate in the causative-inchoative alternation, offers us an opportunity to investigate a case where the alternation is blocked by telicizing prefixes if the non-verbal component is not eventive. To account for this effect, an analysis is developed in which eventive and non-eventive non-verbal components are integrated into the event structure in considerably different ways. Eventivity/non-eventivity determines different attachment options for telicizing prefixes, hence constrains the spell-out of the whole structure in different ways. As a consequence of this, for one class of complex predicates, but not for the other, both causative and inchoative prefixed configurations can be spelled out by the same set of lexical items, and the alternation obtains.

► We account for causative-inchoative alternation in complex predicates in Ossetian (Iranian).
► We observe that complex predicates fall into two types as to the availability of the alternation: for some, the alternation is restricted by verbal prefixation, for others it is not.
► We relate the type of a complex predicate to the eventivity of its non-verbal component.
► We argue that eventive and non-eventive non-verbal components are integrated into the event structure in different ways.
► We show that the alternation pattern follows from this difference.