ASPECTUAL INTERFACE IN VERBS OF MOVEMENT OF BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE

The interrelation between syntax and semantics remains controversial. While most of the theories consider only thematic roles as mediators of this relation, this paper proposes that aspect - a semantic notion that is manifested in the syntax - could be a better mediator. We will assume here the Aspectual Interface Hypothesis (Tenny, 1992) and the contributions in Arad (1996), presenting telicity and aspectual projections of Measurer and Originator, in order to explore its mechanisms in verbs of motion in Brazilian Portuguese. Another goal of this paper is to present the contribution of this theory in the identification of unaccusative and unergative structures and the possibility of the presence of a measurer in motion events, which has not been addressed in Arad (1996).