Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Parts and boundaries.

R Jackendoff1

  • 1Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254-9110.

Cognition
|December 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces conceptual features and functions to explain noun phrase semantics, like mass-count distinctions and plurality. These features also clarify event structure, demonstrating deep connections between lexical and phrasal semantics.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Reading time evidence for enriched composition.

Cognition·2000
Same author

Real-time processing implications of enriched composition at the syntax-semantics interface.

Journal of psycholinguistic research·1999
Same author

On beyond zebra: the relation of linguistic and visual information.

Cognition·1987
Same journal

Corrigendum to 'Consonant, vowel, and tone cues in early wordform recognition: Evidence from Cantonese-learning infants' [Cognition 275 (2026) 106624].

Cognition·2026
Same journal

Identifying distinct sources of whole number interference in children's decimal comparison: the role of numerical magnitude and inhibitory control.

Cognition·2026
Same journal

Evidence for abstract spatial concept learning in young animals.

Cognition·2026
Same journal

Blurred lines or clear boundaries? Synchrony and social dominance shape domain-specific self-other processing.

Cognition·2026
Same journal

Knowability predicts curiosity and learning.

Cognition·2026
Same journal

Throwing good effort after bad: Evidence for a sunk-cost effect in cognitive effort-based decision-making.

Cognition·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Linguistics
  • Cognitive Science
  • Semantics

Background:

  • Conceptual Semantics provides a framework for analyzing linguistic meaning.
  • Noun phrase semantics involves phenomena like mass-count distinction, plurality, and partitive/constitutive constructions.
  • Event structure in semantics deals with aspects like Vendler classes and the progressive aspect.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a system of conceptual features and functions for noun phrase semantics.
  • To apply this system to analyze various problems in event structure.
  • To demonstrate the deep interpenetration of lexical and phrasal semantics.

Main Methods:

  • Developing a family of conceptual features and functions within Conceptual Semantics.
  • Applying these features and functions to noun phrase phenomena (mass-count, plurality, etc.).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Extending the analysis to event structure phenomena (Vendler classes, progressive, aktionsarten).

    • Main Results:

    • A unified system of features and functions accounts for diverse NP and event structure phenomena.
    • These semantic features can be realized syntactically through lexical structure, morphology, constructions, or construal rules.
    • The study reveals no strict one-to-one mapping between syntactic and semantic structures.

    Conclusions:

    • Lexical and phrasal semantics are deeply interconnected.
    • Natural language semantics should be based on a psychological view of meaning and how users conceptualize the world.
    • The developed framework offers a robust account of semantic phenomena in both noun phrases and events.