Publisher's Synopsis
This collection examines the influence of lexical meaning on the functions of verb aspect. A systematic distinction is made between grammatical aspect and aspect-sensitive verb-classes (Aktionsarten) defined in terms of the boundary features or phase structures of what they refer to. Among the aspect categories discussed, emphasis is given to the completive/non-perfective opposition (including aorist, imperfect, progressive) and the 'perfect' form. In addition there is discussion of the 'proximative' and the 'ingressive' and the question of the relevance of aspect-sensitive verb-classes for (actional) verb periphrases. The data are taken from languages of very different groups and types.
