This study investigates the relationship between event packaging conceptualization and linguistic representation in specific Japanese multiverb sequences expressing successive Action + Motion events. Focusing on whether spatio-temporal continuity is required in monoclausal and biclausal structures, this study involves an empirical analysis with native Japanese speakers, examining how spatio-temporal interruptions, as well as the interpretation of the te-marked action verb in the sequence (resultative vs. perfective), influence the appropriateness of monoclausal converbal complex predicates versus their biclausal counterparts. The findings suggest that the monoclausal converbal complex predicate is disfavored, compared to its biclausal counterpart, when the spatiotemporal continuity of the event complex it represents is interrupted. Moreover, spatiotemporal continuity was found to be interrupted more in the monoclausal expressions with perfective V1s than it is with resultative V1s. This indicates that the choice of linguistic representation aligns with the cognitive processes of event segmentation and integration. This study extends the understanding of monoclausality beyond syntactic considerations and highlights its cognitive underpinnings. In addition, it introduces a novel experimental design using visual stimuli with spatiotemporal interruptions to test linguistic appropriateness, offering new insights into the conceptualizations of event packaging in Japanese. By linking language use to cognitive processes, this study provides a new perspective on how language structures represent events, revealing the cognitive foundations of linguistic structures.
Yuqi YIN (Tue,) studied this question.