The Causal Structure of Non-causative Psych-predicates and Its Reflections in Morphology and Semantics

Abstract

The main goal of this paper is to reveal that non-causative psych-predicates in Korean (as well as English), which were once assumed to be simple, are in fact complicated, and that two types of non-causative psych-predicates, [+/-transitive], behave not uniformly in several properties including causativity, relativization, nominalization, and intensionality. I have proposed that the second DP of the [-transitive] type should be interpreted as inducing an abstract affixal postposition, CAUS, indicating causativity, while the second DP of the [+transitive] type be interpreted as indicating intensionality. I suggest this distinction reflects the language-specific conceptualizations of Causal Structure which represents mental experiences.