Language universale and linguistic typology: data-bases and explanations

Comrie, Bernard

doi:10.1524/stuf.1993.46.14.3

Cited by 184 publications

(229 citation statements)

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“…The key insight is that this new causal link can be interpreted either as initial in the overall causal structure -deriving a causative reading -or intermediary -deriving an instrumental reading. The idea that causatives introduce a new initial causal event is the standard analysis, and the idea that instruments are intermediary causees has been claimed in several previous works (Talmy 1976, Comrie 1989, Croft 1991, Ichihashi-Nakayama 1996, Goldberg 2002, Peterson 2007, Koenig et al 2008. For example, Van Valin & Wilkins (1996) argue that agent, force (cause), and instrument all derive from a broader effector role and differ only in both properties of the NP and their position in the causal sequence described by the verb.…”

Section: Theoretical Preliminariesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The causative–instrumental syncretism

Jerro

2017

J. Ling.

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(Received [PRE PUBLICATION DRAFT])Causative and applicative morphemes have been central in work on the morphosyntax of argument structure. However, several genetically unrelated languages use a single, syncretic form for both functions, which complicates the traditional view that a causative adds a new subject and an applicative adds a new object. In this paper, I propose an analysis of a morphological syncretism found in the Bantu language Kinyarwanda where the morphological causative and instrumental applicative are both encoded with the morpheme -ish. I argue for Kinyarwanda that both causation and the introduction of an instrument are analyzable as two outgrowths of the same semantic notion of introducing a new link into the causal chain described by the verb. The different causative and instrumental readings derive from underspecification of the position of the new link in the causal chain, though its placement is restricted via general constraints on possible event types as well as constraints on verb meaning and argument realization. This analysis provides an explanation for the presence of the causative-instrumental syncretism as well as provides insight into the interface between verb meaning and valency-changing morphology.

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Section: Theoretical Preliminariesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In many languages, the demoted causee in causative constructions is marked with some kind of distinct oblique morphology (Comrie 1989). With -ish, however, there is no such marking on the demoted causee.…”

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confidence: 99%

The causative–instrumental syncretism

Jerro

2017

J. Ling.

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“…We found that the assignment primarily follows a simple (semantic) principle which is based on the control asymmetry between referents of noun phrases: one can rank each argument of a verb by the greater or lesser degree of control that its referent exerts, or intends to exert, over the referents of the other argument(s). Strength of control is a continuum (Comrie, 1981; but also see note 18), depends on the semantics of the verb and is reflected in its case role properties (or theta-features). 17 Strength 15 The three subpatterns of PH1 only differ by the number of NP-arguments: they can easily be collapsed into NP 1 -V-(NP 2 -(NP 2 ) ).…”

Section: Utterance Organizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These two factors must be carefully kept apart, although in practice they often go hand in hand. The topicfocus-structure reflects the fact that a part of the utterance defines a set of alternatives to be decided (the 'topic') and then selects one 18 This argument is certainly in a semantic relation to the verb -it has a 'case role' or 'thetarole' -and can be 'in control" in the sense that Comrie (1981) uses this term, but (i) there is no control asymmetry, and (ii) the semantic relation remains constant whether the argument is preverbal or postverbal (pattern PH1: 'Charlie arrive' or pattern PH3: 'arrive Charlie'). of those which is claimed to hold (the 'focus').…”

Section: Sem2 Controller Of Source State Outweighs Controller Of Targmentioning

confidence: 99%

The basic variety (or: couldn’t natural languages be much simpler?)

2018

Looking at Language

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In this article, we discuss the implications of the fact that adult second language learners (outside the classroom) universally develop a wellstructured, efficient and simple form of language -the Basic Variety (BV). Three questions are asked as to (1) the structural properties of the BV, (2) the status of these properties and (3) why some structural properties of 'fully fledged' languages are more complex. First, we characterize the BV in four respects: its lexical repertoire, the principles according to which utterances are structured, and temporality and spatiality expressed. The organizational principles proposed are small in number, and interact. We analyse this interaction, describing how the BV is put to use in various complex verbal tasks, in order to establish both what its communicative potentialities are, and also those discourse contexts where the constraints come into conflict and where the variety breaks down. This latter phenomenon provides a partial answer to the third question, concerning the relative complexity of 'fully fledged' languages -they have devices to deal with such cases. As for the second question, it is argued firstly that the empirically established continuity of the adult acquisition process precludes any assignment of the BV to a mode of linguistic expression (e.g.. 'protolanguage') distinct from that of 'fully fledged' languages and. moreover, that the organizational constraints of the BV belong to the core attributes of the human language capacity, whereas a number of complexifications not attested in the BV are less central properties of this capacity. Finally, it is shown that the notion of feature strength, as used in recent versions of Generative Grammar, allows a straightforward characterization of the BV as a special case of an I-language. in the sense of this theory. Under this perspective, the acquisition of an 1-language beyond the BV can essentially be described as a change in feature strength.

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“…Another issue relating to the present thesis is linguistic typology and universals (Greenberg 1963;Comrie 1989). Clyne (1991: 157) argues for "the theoretical gains that could be derived from studying languages of different typologies all in contact with the same language (English)" (e.g., Clyne 1967; Pauwels 1991 [Dutch in Australia); Bettoni 1981 [Italian in Australia]; Tamisl988, 1990Tamisl988, , 1991 Haugen 1956; Scotton and Okeju 1973 [Ateso in Africa]).…”

Section: Points To Notementioning

confidence: 99%

Language Contact: The Case of Japanese in Australia and New Zealand

Nagao¹

2002

Journal of Japanese Linguistics

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Language universale and linguistic typology: data-bases and explanations

Cited by 184 publications

References 1 publication

The causative–instrumental syncretism

The causative–instrumental syncretism

The basic variety (or: couldn’t natural languages be much simpler?)

Language Contact: The Case of Japanese in Australia and New Zealand

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