Yet another player in the 're' domain: the redirectional ('send-it-somewhere else') reading

Abstract

The paper analyzes a neglected reading which appears in the domain of iterative morphemes focusing on the English prefix 're'-. The analysis is discussed against the backdrop of the structural vs. lexical types of analyses suggested by previous research for other readings of iteratives, notably the repetitive and restitutive ones (von Stechow 1996, among others). The relationships of the different readings are discussed. The current proposal is formulated by updating Zwart’s (2019) semantics, hence fully compatible with a lexical account. The relevant relation defined is called ‘redirectional’ and the reading observed ‘send-it-somewhere-else’, starting out from the most literal instances, i.e., locational and specifically path-based ones, which link up directly to, and extend, other more widely discussed notions of (counter )directionality and reversal. Questions from the current research arise for semantics, but also its mapping with the morphosyntax.