Abstract
This paper offers a lexico-semantic analysis of the relationship between the verb-forming prefix un- and its base verb with the help of some notations proposed in Conceptual Semantics. It is shown how we can capture and represent the function of the prefix un- at the level of conceptual structure. By investigating recurrent patterns and restrictions on syntactic frames into which various classes of un-prefixed verbs enter, we propose a certain rule responsible for specifying an effect on the conceptual structure of the base verb. A plausible explanation will also be given to the relationship between ordinary un-prefixed verbs and denominal un-prefixed verbs at the conceptual structure level.
