Lexical Specifications of Paths

Natural language descriptions of motion frequently combine verbs of motion and directional prepositions. This article presents an analysis of German expressions from these two classes and their interaction. The focus is on the spatial structures (called path) that link them. Paths and the relations accessing them are formally specified in a geometric framework and with reference to the situation structure. The analysis distinguishes verbs of motion from other kinds of verbs that combine with directional adverbs. In addition, it provides a basis for explaining certain restrictions in combining verbs of motion with directional prepositional phrases and for comparing different approaches to the same kind of expressions.