The Category P Features, Projections, Interpretation

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Since the [-m] role is not so familiar, I will first discuss the basic motivation to
analyze these verbs as [-m] assigning verbs. I will then show that the internal role
assigned by these verbs is indeed distinct from both [-c-m] and [+c-m] roles.
3.4.4.1 Basic motivation: The group of Subject Experiencer hitpa’el verbs
consists of verbs such as mit’anyen be- ([is] ‘interested in’]), which have a causative
alternate (me’anyen ‘causes interest’). 46 This is exemplified below in (77). The
availability of the causative alternate (77a) highlights the characteristic of the [-m]
role to be perceived as cause. Therefore these verbs are the most straightforward
candidates for assigning a [-m] role. 47
(77) a. balšanut [-m] me’anyenet et dan
Linguistics interests Acc Dan
b. dan mit’anyen be-balšanut [-m]
Dan [is] interested in-linguistics
Let us now consider a verb such as hitxaret (al) (‘regretted’) (78a), which does
not have a causative alternate (78b), and examine whether it too can be classified as a
[-m] verb.
(78) a. dan hitxaret al ma’asav
Dan regretted on deeds-his
“Dan regretted his deeds.”
b. *ma’asav hixritu/xirtu et dan
deeds-his [caused] regret Acc Dan
Intended meaning: His deeds caused Dan regret
46 See Reinhart (2000, 2001), where it is argued that the hitpa’el entry is derived from the transitive
entry by a lexical operation which reduces the external [+c] theta-role.
47 These verbs probably belong to the group of Object Experiencer verbs such as do’eg (‘worries’),
discussed in Reinhart 2001, for which the [-m] role is motivated. The difference between verbs such as
hit’anyen (‘was interested’), hitkaša (‘had difficulty’), which are viewed here as core PP-verbs, and
verbs such as worry is that the [-m] role of the former is obligatory (e.g. dan hit’anyen *(be-balšanut),
‘Dan was interested *(in linguistics)’), whereas this role is optional with the latter (e.g. dan do’eg (livri’uto),
‘Dan worries (about his health’)).