The Locus and Properties of Syntactic Elements Affecting the Domain of Aspectual Interpretation in Persian

Lexical aspect is a semantic feature that concerns how the event described by the verb develops along a timeline. It has two independent features: object-to-event mapping and event feature. The interaction of these two features form a syntactic space within the verb phrase called ‘domain of aspectual interpretation’. The main question of the research is: which syntactic elements affect the formation of domain of aspectual interpretation in Persian eventive predicates. To answer this question, the syntactic derivation of achievement and accomplishment verbs and the formation of their domain of aspectual interpretation have been analyzed according to Mac Donald’s approach (2006, 2008). The results of the study show that if internal argument is quantified noun or bare plural noun, underspecified event feature will co-index with AspP and finally extended domain of aspectual interpretation is formed. But if internal argument is mass noun, it will co-index with vP and minimal domain of aspectual interpretation is formed. The results also indicate that not only the presence or absence of the [quantity] feature is determinative in defining the aspectual domain of interpretation, but also the existence of AspP and the location of internal argument after moving in tree diagram are effective in defining this domain.