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Confusion with other pos-values

Distinction between pronouns and adverbs (see semantic criterion):

Test
If X occupies the position of a PP or an ADVP, and if X has no ``semantic orientation'', then X/pos=p, otherwise, X/pos=adverb.

Morphological units that introduce interrogative or exclamative sentences are categorized as pronouns:

pos=p pos=adverb
Description Example Description Example
pronounIl vient quand /pos=p   ?adverbIl vient demain /pos=adverb  
Il vit /pos=p   ?Il ne vit pas ici /pos=adverb  , mais ailleurs /pos=adverb  
Il travaille comment /pos=p   ?Il travaille bien /pos=adverb  
Cela coûte combien /pos=p   ?Cela coûte beaucoup /pos=adverb  

The morpholgoical unit y is categorized as weak personal pronoun, like en, whereas morphological units with deictic value are adverbs:

pos=p pos=adverb
Description Example Description Example
pronounJe m' y /pos=p   assoisadverbJe m' assois là-bas /pos=adverb  

Some morphological units can be pronouns and adverbs, according to distributional criteria:

Test
If NP(X), alors X/pos=p; otherwise, if VP(V+X), alors X/pos=adverb.

pos=p pos=adverb
Description Example Description Example
pronounBeaucoup /pos=p   sont venus et peu /pos=p   sont restésadverbIl mange beaucoup /pos=adverb   et boit peu /pos=adverb  
Suffisamment /pos=p   sont venusIl mange suffisamment /pos=adverb  
Enormément /pos=p   sont venusIl mange énormément /pos=adverb  

Distinction between pronoun and noun:

Test
If Det+X designates a given object itself, which is present in the linguistic or extra-linguistic context, then NP(Det+X)/pos=p; otherwise, if X is autonomous and if a ``conceptual interpretation'' is possible, X/pos=n.

pos=p pos=n
Description Example Description Example
pronounIl lui a donné tout /pos=p   / le tout /pos=p  nouncela forme un /pos=article   tout /pos=n  
C'est pour moi /pos=p  ``Le moi /pos=n   consiste dans ma pensée'' (Pascal)



next up previous contents index
Next: type-value dem Up: pos-value p Previous: Central semantic of value