TWO TYPES OF EXTERNAL CAUSES AND AN IMPLICATION FOR CAUSATIVE ALTERNATION

This paper investigates the (un)availability of the causative alternation in cutting verbs (e.g. cut) and cooking verbs (e.g. bake) from the viewpoint of the external causes these verbs lexicalize; that is, these types of verbs lexicalize causal meanings; cut implies the use of a sharp object and bake implies the use of an oven or heat. Verbs that denote externally caused events generally resist the causative alternation in English; for example, cutting verbs do not have an anti-causative variant. Cooking verbs, however, can alternate. This contrast is examined in terms of inferred lexicalization.