Applicative ConstructionsThis book presents the first systematic typological analysis of applicatives across African, American Indian, and East Asian languages. It is also the first to address their functions in discourse, the derivation of their semantic and syntactic properties, and how and why they have changed over time. Applicative constructions are typically described as transitivizing because they allow an intransitive base verb to have a direct object. The term originates from the seventeenth-century missionary grammars of Uto-Aztecan languages. Constructions designated as prepositional, benefactive, and instrumental may refer to the same or similar phenomena. Applicative constructions have been deployed in the development of a range of syntactic theories which have then often been used to explain their functions, usually within the context of Bantu languages. Dr Peterson provides a wealth of cross-linguistic information on discourse-functional, diachronic, and typological aspects of applicative constructions. He documents their unexpected synchronic variety and the diversity of diachronic sources about them. He argues that many standard assumptions about applicatives are unfounded, and provides a clear guide for future language-specific and cross-linguistic research and analysis. |
Contents
1 Introduction | 1 |
2 Two Case Studies of Applicative Morphosyntax | 5 |
3 Morphosyntactic and Semantic Variation in Applicative Constructions | 40 |
4 The Discourse Function of Applicative Constructions | 83 |
5 The Evolution of Applicative Constructions | 123 |
6 Structural Correlates of Applicative Constructions | 172 |
7 Conclusion | 231 |
Appendices | 236 |
References | 260 |
| 277 | |
| 280 | |
| 284 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
adpositional alignment animacy applicative constructions applicative marker applicative object applicative systems applicative types argument average referential distance base object benefactive applicative construction benefactive/malefactive beneWciary beneWciary/recipient Bukusu canonical objects cative Chapter Chichewa clitic coding comitative applicative construction types correlation dative deic direct object distance and topic diVerences e g fwr e g nf elements entity ergative evaluated eVect example grammaticalization Hakha Halkomelem indicates instance instantiation instrumental applicative constructions intransitive Kalkatungu khaa Kinyarwanda languages with applicative locative applicative main clause monotransitive morphology morphosyntactic Nadëb nominal non-applicative object marking objects Animate Pronom oblique objects participants passive patient objects preposition preWx pronominal Proper Active Long recipient objects Relational Grammar relational nouns relative clause relativization restricted reXect reXexes sample seen semantics sentence SpeciWc Identif status suYx synchronic Taaynaamkoong Table thematic role topic continuity topicworthiness properties transitive transitivizing Tsewmang Tsewmang¼erg tsewmaŒ¼ni Tukang Besi typology Tzotzil verbal Wanjala Wgures Wolof Wrst x2 ¼