The shared core of memory predicates is non-novel knowledge

Abstract

I claim that what memory predicates like English remember, German noch wissen (‘still know’) and sich erinnern (‘refl remember/remind’) have in common is that they denote a form of non-novel (not necessarily retained, contra Rosina and Liefke, 2025b) knowledge (‘still know, know again, or re-know’). This is oftentimes reflected in morphemes of retention, repetition, and restitution (cognates of still, again, re-). I attribute cross-predicate variation (like the availability of ‘eventive’ readings, ‘remembering right now’) to the distinction between ‘still’, ‘again’ and ‘re-’ and to differences in the way the meaning ‘non-novel knowledge’ comes about: sich erinnern (‘refl remember/remind’) is included in the perceived predicate class due to pragmatic entailment plus grammaticalization, while in remember and noch wissen (‘still know’) ‘non-novel knowledge’ comes about compositionally in a more or less transparent way.