On Things That Are Awesomer than Cat Macros:

I'm not posting much because I'm a greengrocer for the summer, but I had to share this:

(Via Phonoloblog.)

The best thing ever? Perhaps.

I beat up Michael, but *I beat up him

A data set I came up with during yesterday's car trip:

(1)

a. I beat him/them/you up (twice a week).

b. *I beat up him/them/you (twice a week).

c. We beat each other up (twice a week).

d * We beat up each other (twice a week).

e. We beat ourselves up (twice a week).

f. *We beat up ourselves (twice a week).

g. Jon and Michael beat each other up (twice a week.)

h. *Jon and Michael beat up each other (twice a week).

(2)

a. I beat Michael up (twice a week).

b. I beat up Michael (twice a week).

(3)

a. I beat the/a boy up (twice a week).

b. I beat up the/a boy (twice a week).

(4)

a. I beat all the boys up (twice a week).

b. I beat up all the boys (twice a week).

c. I beat all boys up.

d. I beat up all boys.

e. I beat boys up (twice a week).

f. I beat up boys (twice a week).

(5)

a. I beat each boy up (twice a week)

b. I beat up each boy (twice a week)

(6)

a. I beat his brother up (twice a week).

b. I beat up his brother. (twice a week).

(7)

a. I beat someone up (twice a week).

b. ?I beat up someone (twice a week).

(8)

a. ??I beat no one up.

b. ??I beat up no one.

c. I didn't beat up anyone.

d. I didn't beat anyone up.

So what's the generalization? At first I thought that the elements that cannot appear outside of 'beat up' were the elements that require some kind of antecedent, or discourse context, in order to be meaningful, but doesn't the data in (6) also require a previously established reference for 'his'? But then again, maybe that doesn't matter because 'his' is not an argument of the verb...

Someone has probably already figured this out. Perhaps I will google it...

Lovely diagram...

I, er, just wanted to share the beautiful diagram I made[1], which I will include in the PPT presentation for my honours thesis defence tomorrow.

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[1] Meaghan Fowlie gave me the idea that there was a hierarchy involved with these semantic properties, hence the sweet vertical formatting.