Representative publications
Linguistic Research and Language Teaching (2008)
Natsuko Tsujimura
Language and Linguistics Compass, 2 251-263
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It is not uncommon for theoretical linguists to find themselves involved in language teaching because of their expertise in a specific language, even though their primary training is not in language instruction. Apparent lack of intellectual stimulus and career development is a typical concern shared by those who are in these academic positions; and it is sometimes the case that time spent on language teaching is perceived to be detrimental to a successful tenure decision. Based on my own experience as a linguist in a language department for the past 20 years, I will discuss some of these dilemmas and suggestions that may lead to a more positive outlook of those who face a similar situation.
Why not all verbs are learned equally: The Intransitive Verb Bias in Japanese (2006)
Natsuko Tsujimura
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This paper investigates whether children learn all verbs with equal ease. Based on a longitudinal study of a Japanese-speaking child, I will demonstrate that the child has a bias toward intransitive verbs. Moreover, intransitive verbs that enter into the child's early vocabulary tend to be verbs that denote motion with specific path or definable goal. It is claimed that a driving force for the lexical bias is a language-specific principle that focuses on result, as opposed to process, of an action. The conclusion lends support to the view that language-specific principles can guide the child in the development of verb semantics and conceptualization of events.
Japanese enter/exit verbs revisited: A reply to Kita (1999) (2002)
Natsuko Tsujimura
Studies in Language. International Journal sponsored by the Foundation “Foundations of Language”, 26 (1), 165-180
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Kita (1999) compares Japanese and English Enter/Exit verbs in spatial expressions, and argues that Japanese Enter/Exit verbs lack semantic encoding of motion. He claims that this runs counter to the view which considers motion and location to be primitives in the semantics of spatial expressions; instead, he proposes that discrete change of state should be included in the set of primitives. In this reply,I will first show that Kita's evidence does not support lack of motion in Japanese Enter/Exit verbs, but that instead these verbs do pattern with motion verbs in the language, where conflation of motion is not disputable. I finally demonstrate that Kita's claim about change of state may be well taken, but it should be put in a larger context of regular polysemy.
A constructional approach to stativity in Japanese (2002)
Natsuko Tsujimura
Studies in Language. International Journal sponsored by the Foundation “Foundations of Language”, 25 (3), 601-629
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This paper deals with the relationship between the formal properties and a specific meaning associated with a class of Japanese sentences that have the verbal gerund and iru `be' (i.e., -te iru). These sentences are characterized by the -te iru verbal morphology on a dynamic verb and a non-volitional subject that does not participate in the event denoted by the verb. The particular stative interpretation induced by these sentences cannot be attributed to the meaning of the individual lexical items. The paper argues instead that the source of the stative meaning is better explained by a constructional view, that the meaning is attributed to the construction itself.
L1 TRANSFER IN THE ACQUISITION OF ARGUMENT STRUCTURE (2002)
Tsujimura Natsuko, Dillon Caitlin
urham Working Papers in Linguistics, 8 181-193
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This paper examines issues revolving around L1 transfer with respect to the acquisition of the argument structure of verbs in Japanese. Particular foci of our investigation include the following questions: (i) Do learners of Japanese perceive the lack of particular argument structure patterns exhibited in English, and if so, when do they begin to recognize the differences? (ii) If they recognize the differences in argument structure in Japanese and English, how do learners reconcile them in their attempt to use Japanese verbs correctly? (iii) Are the patterns of acquisition different for verbs of different semantic classes? In this paper we will report our preliminary findings on these issues.
Degree words and scalar structure in Japanese (2001)
Natsuko Tsujimura
Lingua, 111 (1), 29-52
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The interaction of event structure and scalar structure has provided accounts for various phenomena revolving around verbs and degree modification. This paper demonstrates that such an interaction is indeed relevant in explaining the pattern of modification that the adverb totemo ‘very’ exhibits in Japanese. In particular, I will argue that the distinction between a ‘trivial standard’ and a ‘nontrivial standard’ discussed in the analysis of deverbal adjectives by Kennedy and McNally (1999) plays an important role in determining the range of verbs that accept degree modification by totemo.
Deverbal Nominals and Telicity in Japanese (1999)
Natsuko TsujimuraMasayo Iida
Journal of East Asian Linguistics, 8 (2), 107–130
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Kishimoto (1996) observes that the NP modified by a deverbal nominal with kake is restricted to the object of a transitive verb and the subject of an unaccusative verb, excluding the subject of a transitive verb and an unergative. In this paper we first claim that kake nominalization should recognize the two meanings, the "halfway" reading and the inception reading, for its accurate description. Based on the observation that the "halfway" reading occurs with (transitive) accomplishment verbs while the inception reading is possible with any verb, we further claim that telicity is a key notion to account for the "halfway" reading. Moreover, we argue that the "halfway" interpretation requires that an event extend over an interval so that a halfway point of the event can be measured. Achievement verbs, although telic, denote a punctual event, and therefore the nominal cannot receive the "halfway" reading: it can only have the inception reading. We also demonstrate that telicity can be invoked by contextual information. Our analysis overcomes the problems that Kishimoto's macrorole-based analysis faces and yet subsumes its generalization: the lowest ranking nonagent macrorole argument generally serves as the delimiter of the action denoted by the verb.
The College of Arts