Semantic constraints
Unbounded Activity
( for both interpretations): the verb necessarily
designates a repeated action or unbounded activity, e.g.:
Firing wildly, Jones shot
his way through the crowd. He hiccupped his way out of the room.
Self-Propelled Motion
(for the means interpretation): motion must be self-
propelled. The constraint rules out unaccusative verbs, as unaccusativity correlates
with lack of agentivity or lack of self-initiation, e.g.:
The bank-debt restructuring is
the centerpiece of Lomas Financial’s month-long efforts to shrink its way back to
profitability after 2 years of heavy losses.
But
* The wood burns its way to the
ground
.
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