An LFG Analysis of Verbal Modifiers in Hungarian

In this paper I present the crucial aspects of an LFG (and XLE-implementable) analysis of the major types of Hungarian verbal modifiers (VMs). In accordance with the general approach outlined in Laczkó (2014a), I assume that focussed constituents, VMs and the (verb-adjacent) question phrase are in complementary distribution in [Spec,VP]. I distinguish two major types of VMs: particles (a.k.a. preverbs) belong to the first type, and the rest of VMs to the other type. On the basis of Laczkó's (2013) analysis, I treat both compositional and non-compositional PVCs lexically, with both the verb and particle having their respective lexical forms with appropriate functional annotations and cross-referencing (including the use of CHECK features). The particle and the verb are analyzed as functional coheads in both PVC types. All the other VMs, with their own grammatical functions, are lexically selected by their verbs in these verbs' lexical forms. Depending on the nature of the VM involved, the verb can impose various constraints on it.