[Published 2002 Dissertation, University of Southern California]
This volume presents a computational model of predicate composition that derives the distinct properties of "words" and "phrases" within a single component of grammar and its interface conditions, thus providing an insight into the interaction between morphology and syntax. Based on a cross-lingual study of complex predicates and verb phrase aspect, with special focus on Armenian and Persian, Megerdoomian isolates the primitive atoms used to encode meaning in the syntactic code and argues for parallel nominal and verbal structures. The notion of word is thus defined as a level in the syntactic structure and the distinction between a "word" and a "phrase" is characterized by the structural complexity of the constituents involved in the formation of a particular predicate. The distinct syntactic and semantic properties of words and phrases can be captured straightforwardly from the resulting configuration and the interface conditions. In the computational model developed, lexical entries, combined with the spell-out node to the PF component, determine the parameters for language variation and can derive the structure-meaning mismatches observed in verbal predicates.