Semantic Parameters of Emotion Predicates in Japanese and Romanian

The aim of this presentation is to analyze the semantic factors behind the case marking variation observed with emotion predicates in Japanese and Romanian. The examination of the semantic and syntactic properties of emotion predicates indicates that although Japanese and Romanian employ different strategies in the linguistic expression of emotions we can divide emotion predicates in both languages into two main categories. A. RELATIONAL PREDICATES which refer to the emotion as a relation between Experiencer and Stimulus, without focusing on the details of the emotional episode. B. EVENT PREDICATES which are sensitive to the internal composition of emotional episodes Event predicates can be classified depending on the aspect of the emotional episode they focus upon. The two languages seem to differ with regard to the syntax-semantics interface: in Japanese this is provided by aspect, in Romanian by argument structure.