Nikolaus P. Himmelmann and Eva F. Schultze-Berndt (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199272266
- eISBN:
- 9780191709975
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199272266.001.0001
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Syntax and Morphology
Depictive secondary predicates such as ‘raw’ in ‘George ate the fish raw’ are important for current issues in syntactic and semantic theory, in particular predication theory, phrase structure ...
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Depictive secondary predicates such as ‘raw’ in ‘George ate the fish raw’ are important for current issues in syntactic and semantic theory, in particular predication theory, phrase structure theories, issues of control and grammatical relations, and verbal aspect. This book approaches depictive secondary predication from a cross-linguistic point of view. It traces all the relevant phenomena and brings together critical surveys and new contributions on their morphosyntactic and semantic properties. It particularly considers similarities and differences between secondary predicates and other types of adjuncts, including adverbials of manner, comparison, quantity, and location. The book's approach is theory-neutral and pragmatic: it draws on insights and research traditions ranging from the minimalist program to semantic maps methodology.Less
Depictive secondary predicates such as ‘raw’ in ‘George ate the fish raw’ are important for current issues in syntactic and semantic theory, in particular predication theory, phrase structure theories, issues of control and grammatical relations, and verbal aspect. This book approaches depictive secondary predication from a cross-linguistic point of view. It traces all the relevant phenomena and brings together critical surveys and new contributions on their morphosyntactic and semantic properties. It particularly considers similarities and differences between secondary predicates and other types of adjuncts, including adverbials of manner, comparison, quantity, and location. The book's approach is theory-neutral and pragmatic: it draws on insights and research traditions ranging from the minimalist program to semantic maps methodology.
Nicholas J. Enfield
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199272266
- eISBN:
- 9780191709975
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199272266.003.0012
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Syntax and Morphology
This chapter begins by describing the Lao language wherein depictive expressions are predominantly verbal. Since the Lao language is a typical isolating language, lacking inflectional morphosyntactic ...
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This chapter begins by describing the Lao language wherein depictive expressions are predominantly verbal. Since the Lao language is a typical isolating language, lacking inflectional morphosyntactic categories such as case-marking and agreement, verbs are distributionally defined, and there is no difference between finite and non-finite verb forms. Thus, it suggests that the distinction between a primary and a secondary predicate can only be constructed with the secondary predicate as an adjunct in the sense that it can be omitted without changing the basic semantics of the primary predication. While having the secondary predicate in this sense, Lao does not have a particular depictive construction involving verbs, since not only depictive but also resultative and adverbial meanings can be conveyed by unmarked verbs functioning as secondary predicates. This chapter addresses pragmatic restrictions on specific combinations of primary and secondary predicate, associated to the relevance and/or conventionality of the combination.Less
This chapter begins by describing the Lao language wherein depictive expressions are predominantly verbal. Since the Lao language is a typical isolating language, lacking inflectional morphosyntactic categories such as case-marking and agreement, verbs are distributionally defined, and there is no difference between finite and non-finite verb forms. Thus, it suggests that the distinction between a primary and a secondary predicate can only be constructed with the secondary predicate as an adjunct in the sense that it can be omitted without changing the basic semantics of the primary predication. While having the secondary predicate in this sense, Lao does not have a particular depictive construction involving verbs, since not only depictive but also resultative and adverbial meanings can be conveyed by unmarked verbs functioning as secondary predicates. This chapter addresses pragmatic restrictions on specific combinations of primary and secondary predicate, associated to the relevance and/or conventionality of the combination.
Felix K. Ameka
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199272266
- eISBN:
- 9780191709975
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199272266.003.0011
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Syntax and Morphology
This chapter demonstrates that meanings expressed by depictives, for example, in European languages are often expressed by means of multiverb constructions (serial verb constructions) in languages ...
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This chapter demonstrates that meanings expressed by depictives, for example, in European languages are often expressed by means of multiverb constructions (serial verb constructions) in languages like Ewe, a Kwa language spoken in Ghana and Togo. Different kinds of participant-oriented adjuncts, however, including ideophones, prepositional phrases, and noun phrases, also occur in this function, contrary to Larson's (1991) hypothesis that serializing languages do not have nominal secondary predicates. Moreover, this chapter shows a new analysis of an ubiquitous enclitic =I in Ewe which serves as a marker for secondary predicates and predicative complements, but also as an adverbializing suffix. It also shows on some verb phrases in a series, which raises the intriguing question as to how serial verbs and verbal adjuncts can be distinguished, in particular in an isolating language such as Ewe.Less
This chapter demonstrates that meanings expressed by depictives, for example, in European languages are often expressed by means of multiverb constructions (serial verb constructions) in languages like Ewe, a Kwa language spoken in Ghana and Togo. Different kinds of participant-oriented adjuncts, however, including ideophones, prepositional phrases, and noun phrases, also occur in this function, contrary to Larson's (1991) hypothesis that serializing languages do not have nominal secondary predicates. Moreover, this chapter shows a new analysis of an ubiquitous enclitic =I in Ewe which serves as a marker for secondary predicates and predicative complements, but also as an adverbializing suffix. It also shows on some verb phrases in a series, which raises the intriguing question as to how serial verbs and verbal adjuncts can be distinguished, in particular in an isolating language such as Ewe.
Michelle Troberg and Heather Burnett
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- August 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198747840
- eISBN:
- 9780191810732
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198747840.003.0008
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Historical Linguistics, Syntax and Morphology
This chapter presents data that challenge the prevailing assumption that as Latin evolves into French, it passes gradually from a satellite-framed language to a verb-framed language. In fact, ...
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This chapter presents data that challenge the prevailing assumption that as Latin evolves into French, it passes gradually from a satellite-framed language to a verb-framed language. In fact, Medieval French presents an unexpected intermediate stage, a grammar that includes a number of satellite-framed constructions that are present neither in Latin nor in Modern French (verb particles, goal-of-motion constructions, complex adjectival resultative constructions). Moreover, there is evidence that these constructions disappear abruptly during the same period. We provide a micro-parametric account for the presence of verb particles and goal-of-motion constructions in Medieval French whereby both are made possible through the presence of a null Path morpheme having the meaning of TO, which arises as early as Late Latin, as the Latin telicizing prefixes become decreasingly salient.Less
This chapter presents data that challenge the prevailing assumption that as Latin evolves into French, it passes gradually from a satellite-framed language to a verb-framed language. In fact, Medieval French presents an unexpected intermediate stage, a grammar that includes a number of satellite-framed constructions that are present neither in Latin nor in Modern French (verb particles, goal-of-motion constructions, complex adjectival resultative constructions). Moreover, there is evidence that these constructions disappear abruptly during the same period. We provide a micro-parametric account for the presence of verb particles and goal-of-motion constructions in Medieval French whereby both are made possible through the presence of a null Path morpheme having the meaning of TO, which arises as early as Late Latin, as the Latin telicizing prefixes become decreasingly salient.
Erich R. Round
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199654871
- eISBN:
- 9780191745560
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199654871.003.0007
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Syntax and Morphology, Theoretical Linguistics
Chapter 7 examines DP juxtaposition, which is frequently employed in Kayardild as in many other Australian languages. Functions of juxtaposition are introduced and illustrated. Consideration of ...
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Chapter 7 examines DP juxtaposition, which is frequently employed in Kayardild as in many other Australian languages. Functions of juxtaposition are introduced and illustrated. Consideration of number inflection, grammatical role alternations and the tense inflection of certain DPs shows that the sharing of inflectional features by juxtaposed DPs is epiphenomenal, or bottom-up, rather than imposed top-down via a ‘juxtaposition phrase’ node. A survey of juxtaposed DPs whose NP lacks an overt head provides evidence for a wide range of DPs with predominantly unfilled structural positions, and adds justification for certain syntactic structures posited in earlier chapters on the basis of independent evidence. Insights afforded by this are applied to the analysis of inflection in narrow scope negation and nominal secondary predicates.Less
Chapter 7 examines DP juxtaposition, which is frequently employed in Kayardild as in many other Australian languages. Functions of juxtaposition are introduced and illustrated. Consideration of number inflection, grammatical role alternations and the tense inflection of certain DPs shows that the sharing of inflectional features by juxtaposed DPs is epiphenomenal, or bottom-up, rather than imposed top-down via a ‘juxtaposition phrase’ node. A survey of juxtaposed DPs whose NP lacks an overt head provides evidence for a wide range of DPs with predominantly unfilled structural positions, and adds justification for certain syntactic structures posited in earlier chapters on the basis of independent evidence. Insights afforded by this are applied to the analysis of inflection in narrow scope negation and nominal secondary predicates.