Verbal Periphrases in Romance: Aspect, Actionality, and Grammaticalization (Empirical Approaches to Language Typology, 21)

A detailed synchronic and diachronic examination of the semantics of Romance verbal periphrases, including the range of Romance progressives, as well as Portuguese and Mexican present perfects, Catalan analytic past and French "surcomposes". The volume focuses on the relationship between aspect and actionality (Actionsart) in the grammaticalization process of periphrastic constructions.