Uighur Situation Type Research

The primary focus of this thesis is situation types (situation aspects) of verbs, verb phrases and sentences in modern Uyghur. Situation types are inherent properties of verbs or verb-complement phrases. According to Zeno Vendler (1967) and Carlota Smith (1997), some verbs describe states;others are dynamic and describe process and events. This thesis aims at studying the nature of situation types of verbs, verb phrases and sentences in modern Uyghur based on the concepts and theories of semantics and cognitive linguistics. This research demonstrates that five situation types exist in Uyghur. These types are activity, state, accomplishment, achievement, and semelfactive. The semantic distinctions among them are dynamic/static, durative/instantaneous and telic/atelic. In Uyghur activity has [+dynamic], [+durative], [+atelic] features; state has [-dynamic], [+durative], [+atelic] features; accomplishment has [+dynamic], [+durative], [-atelic] features; achievement has [+dynamic], [-durative], [-atelic] features; semelfactive has [+dynamic], [-durative], [+atelic] features. This thesis is structured as follows:Chapter one introduces the fundamental concept of situation types, and briefly reviews previous work done by English and Chinese scholars. It also classifies the verbs and the sentences in Uyghur based on three temporal features.From Chapter two to chapter six we mainly discuss five situation types in Uyghur. We analyze the internal structure of five situation types, and subclassify situation verbs according to their semantic features. For example, the activity verbs are subclassified into four categories, the state verbs into three, and accomplishment verbs into two. Achievement and semelfactive verbs are not subclassified. To clarify the nature of the five situation types, we use several diagnostic tests to distinguish between the five classes. First of all, we analyze the temporal and aspectual meaning of five situation verbs by combining tense and aspect markers. Secondly, we discuss the related problems of different types of verbs, whether they can have an active voice, a passive voice and an imperative form or not. Thirdly, we analyze the temporal meaning of different situation sentences when the different types of verbs are combining with time adverbials. Fourthly, we also analyze whether different types of verbs can be compatible with adverb of action or not. Finally, we analyze the temporal meaning of different situation sentences when the different verbs enter the structure of "V-+-Gili+time phrase+bol-+-di" (for a period of time). And we also analyze the temporal meaning of different situation sentences when different verbs are combined with time phrases exemplified by "bir saatta" (in an hour). In these chapters the semantic and syntactic properties of the five situation types are presented in detail. Chapter seven is the conclusion of the dissertation in conjunction with an outline for future research.