Measure phrases with bare adjectives in Spanish
This paper describes and analyzes an unnoticed Spanish construction that includes a measure phrase and a non-comparative adjective conforming to an [MP+de+A] pattern (e.g., Esta mesa tiene [un metro de ancha] (lit.) this table has one meter of wide). It is proposed that underlying Spanish [MP+de+A] there is a reverse (predicate-specifier) structure with an attributive interpretation (cf. Den Dikken 2006), in which the MP predicates over the adjectives degree argument, and the adjective acts as a restrictor of the MPs denotation. Making use of a Project Both labeling algorithm for external merge of maximal projections (cf. Chomsky 2008, Citko 2008), it is further argued that the MP/QP also projects in this construction. This accounts for the fact that [MP+de+A] has the interpretation and distribution of a QP as a whole. Finally, the properties of Spanish [MP+de+A] are compared with those of closely related constructions in Spanish, as well as with the properties of standard constructions containing an MP and a bare adjective in other languages, and an analysis within Den Dikkens (2006) theory of predicational relationships is provided that accounts for the similarities and differences between all these patterns.
measure phrase bare adjective attributive interpretation project both reverse predication