scholarly journals Serialization in Complex Predicates in MalakMalak

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothea Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Complex Predicates ◽  
Distinctive Features ◽  
Complex Predicate ◽  
Closed Class ◽  
Verb Constructions ◽  
Two Systems ◽  
Complex Verbs ◽  
Australian Languages

<p>While complex verbs are well attested in Australian languages and elsewhere, in MalakMalak two systems of multi-verb constructions combine in a typologically rare setup: First, complex predicates consist of an uninflecting open-classed coverb and an inflecting verb (IV) of a closed class of six. Second, coverbs combine in serial constructions as part of a complex predicate with up to four coverbs encoding multiple or single events. This overlap provides a unique opportunity to examine shared and distinctive features. I argue for an analysis of MalakMalak’s complex predicates’ argument structure in terms of argument unification (Bowern 2010) of coverb and IV. </p>

The scope interpretation of complex predicates in Japanese: A unified lexicalist analysis

2007 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 489-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
YUSUKE KUBOTA
Keyword(s):  
Semantic Representation ◽  
Quantifier Scope ◽  
Complex Predicates ◽  
Syntactic Structures ◽  
Scope Ambiguity ◽  
Verbal Noun ◽  
Complex Predicate ◽  
Object Construction ◽  
Verb Constructions ◽  
Scope Interpretation

This paper proposes a unified analysis of adverb scope and quantifier scope phenomena in a lexicalist approach to complex predicates. I first observe that the availability of scope ambiguity for adverbs and for quantifiers always coincides for a given type of complex predicate, drawing on data from different kinds of compound verb constructions, the verbal noun-taking predicates and the nominative object construction. The challenge for a unified treatment in lexicalist frameworks comes from the fact that syntactic structures cannot be taken as the locus for representing the scope of adverbs and quantifiers, unlike in derivational frameworks where such an analysis is the most natural. Thus, a previous lexicalist analysis by Manning, Sag & Iida (1999) makes use of completely different mechanisms to account for adverb scope and quantifier scope, failing to capture the close parallel between them. I remedy this problem of Manning et al.'s analysis by proposing a unified account of adverb scope and quantifier scope that crucially makes use of a slightly enriched semantic representation explicitly encoding the property of mono-/biclausality with respect to scopal phenomena.

scholarly journals Serial Verb Construction in Etulo

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1221
Author(s):  
Chikelu Ihunanya Ezenwafor
Keyword(s):  
Motion Verbs ◽  
Complex Predicates ◽  
Serial Verb Constructions ◽  
Complex Predicate ◽  
Verb Constructions ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Serial Verb Construction ◽  
Serial Verb ◽  
Grammatical Functions

In languages, different criteria are often adopted in the classification of the verb category many of which are language specific or universal. Etulo makes a distinction between simple and complex predicates. This work discusses serial verb construction (SVC) as a type of complex predicate using the typological criteria proposed in Aikhenvald (2006). Etulo SVCs have diverse semantic and grammatical functions. They express benefactive, instrumental, comparative meaning, as well as prepositional and adverbial notions indicating direction using motion verbs. Different types of serial verb constructions (SVCs) are established: the symmetric vs asymmetric type, contiguous vs non-contiguous, and the optional vs obligatory type. The SVC is further distinguished from a similar multi-verb construction known as the consecutive construction.

scholarly journals On the Integration of Dative Adjuncts into Event Structures in Yapa Languages

Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 136
Author(s):  
Mitchell Browne
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Event Structure ◽  
Complex Predicates ◽  
Complex Predicate ◽  
Grammatical Relations ◽  
Event Structures ◽  
Single Argument ◽  
Grammatical Relation ◽  
New Research

Warlpiri and Warlmanpa (Ngumpin-Yapa languages of Australia) exhibit a complex predicate construction in which a class of preverbs introduces a single argument that is not shared by the argument structure of the inflecting verb, nor is there necessarily any shared event structure. This is problematic for many theories of linking structures of complex predicates, since no arguments or events are shared between the predicative elements of the complex predicate. The same grammatical relation is instantiated by a beneficiary adjunct. In light of new research in event and argument structure, I propose a lexical rule which introduces an applicative argument to account for the beneficiary construction; and that the preverbs take another predicate as one of their arguments to account for the complex predicates. The applicative rule and the preverbs both introduce an argument of the same grammatical relation, leading to interesting interactions, given that two grammatical relations of the same type are not expected to co-occur within a single clause.

scholarly journals First Phase Syntax of Persian Complex Predicates: Argument Structure and Telicity

Nordlyd ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Pantcheva
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Complex Predicates ◽  
Light Verbs ◽  
Complex Predicate ◽  
Light Verb

In this paper, I propose an analysis of Persian complex predicates, based on the First Phase Verbal syntax developed by Ramchand (2008). I suggest that the light verbs lexicalize the subevent heads into which the verbal phrase is decomposed, while the preverbal element occupies the Rheme position and semantically unifies with the light verb to build one joint predication. Further, I propose a feature specification for some of the most productive light verbs. I argue that the light verb is responsible for the argument structure of the entire predicate (in line with Megerdoomian 2002b, Folli et al. 2005), while the aspectual properties of the complex predicate depend on the interaction between the preverb and the light verb.

scholarly journals Complex predicates and light verb constructions in Modern Irish

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 140-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Nolan
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Complex Predicates ◽  
Form Complex ◽  
Light Verbs ◽  
Role And Reference Grammar ◽  
Light Verb Constructions ◽  
Light Verb ◽  
Verb Constructions ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Matrix Verb

This paper characterises complex predicates and light verb constructions in Modern Irish. Light verbs are attested in many of the world’s languages (Alsina, Bresnan & Sells, 2001; Butt, 1995, 2003). Cross linguistically, there appears to be a common class of verbs involved in these constructions and generally there is agreement that light verbs contribute to the formation of complex predicates. Light verbs seem have a non-light or ‘heavy’ verb counterpart. In this paper we discuss the light verb constructions (LVC) as found in modern Irish and how they form complex predicates. We claim that the light verb (LV) encodes the event process initiation (or cause) and the matrix verb indicates the bounded component or result. In light verb constructions, the matrix verb appears in Modern Irish syntax as a verbal-noun form. The function of light verbs in these constructions is to modulate the event and sub-event semantics. We distinguish between auxiliary verbs constructions (AVC) and those constructions involving complex predicated and light verbs (Aikhenvald & Dixon, 2006; Anderson, 2006). We provide evidence based on an analysis of Irish data that shows how aspect and argument structure considerations are resolved for the complex predicate within the light verb construction via the linking system between semantics and syntax. We motivate a functional account, based on Role and Reference Grammar (Nolan, 2012; Nolan & Diedrichsen, 2013; Van Valin, 2005; Van Valin & LaPolla, 1997), that appeals to the analysis of complex predicates within a consideration of the layered structure of the clause.

Event Structure and Complex Predicates in Persian

2001 ◽  
Vol 46 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 97-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Megerdoomian
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Event Structure ◽  
Word Formation ◽  
Complex Predicates ◽  
Persian Literature ◽  
Complex Predicate ◽  
Light Verb Constructions ◽  
Individual Contributions ◽  
Verbal Construction ◽  
The Individual

AbstractThis article investigates the syntactic and semantic properties of complex predicates in Persian in order to isolate the individual contributions of the verbal components. The event structure of causative alternation and unergative verbs is determined, based on a decomposition of the verbal construction into primitive syntactic elements consisting of lexical roots and functional heads, with the latter projecting all arguments of the verbal construction. An analysis is provided whereby the argument structure is not projected from the lexicon but is formed compositionally by the conjunction of the primitive components of the complex predicate in syntax. The dual behaviour of Persian complex predicates as lexical and syntactic elements, which has been attested in Persian literature on light verb constructions, follows naturally from the analysis proposed since there is no strict division between the level of word formation and the component manipulating phrasal constructs.

Simple Monotransitive and Complex Dative Alternation Predicates in Spanish Monolingual Child Acquisition Data

Probus ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Sánchez Calderón
Keyword(s):  
Relative Frequency ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Complex Predicates ◽  
Case Assignment ◽  
Internal Argument ◽  
Complex Predicate ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Dative Alternation ◽  
First Occurrence ◽  
Shed Light

Abstract This work analyzes the acquisition of simple and complex constructions in Spanish monolingual children’s data. It examines the emergence and the role played by adult input in child production of simple monotransitive constructions when compared to two types of complex predicates that undergo dative alternation (DA), namely, a/para-datives and dative-clitic doubled (DCLD) structures. In order to shed light on these issues, we have analyzed data from Spanish monolingual children and from the adults that they interact with, as available in CHILDES (MacWhinney, Brian. 2000. The CHILDES project: Tools for analyzing talk [Dataset], 3rd edn. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum. http://childes.talkbank.org (accessed 20 October 2019)). The results show that there is an order in the onset of simple and complex predicate constructions, as reflected in the earlier emergence of monotransitives when compared to DA constructions. The latter also show a subsequent order of first occurrence, namely, DCLDs before a/para-datives. Thus, the degree of syntactic complexity seems to have played a role in the acquisition of simple and complex constructions, as measured by the number of Case assignment relations between the verb and its internal argument(s). Moreover, the differences in the Spanish monolingual children’s incidence of the three structures under analysis do not appear to be explained by the relative frequency of exposure in the adult input.

Periphrasis in Archi1

Periphrasis ◽  
2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Chumakina
Keyword(s):  
Complex Predicates ◽  
Serial Verb Constructions ◽  
Verb Constructions ◽  
Serial Verb ◽  
Descriptive Purpose ◽  
Published Research

The Nakh-Daghestanian language Archi has several types of verbal constructions: periphrases, complex predicates, and phenomena very similar to serial verb constructions. This chapter investigates these constructions, using the approach of canonical typology; this allows different constructions to be ranked in terms of their proximity to the canonical centre. The analysis suggested is relevant for the general typology of multiword constructions, since it identifies tests for distinguishing them: for complex predicates the test will be their syntactic behaviour, for constructions close to serialization it is the fact that they are only available for a subset of verbs, while periphrasis is exhaustive. The chapter also has a descriptive purpose: published research on Archi does not describe all the available meanings for the periphrastic constructions nor their syntactic behaviour, and so an attempt is made to fill these gaps.

Recognizing a serial verb

Serial Verbs ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 20-54
Author(s):  
Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Overwhelming Majority ◽  
Event Type ◽  
Cultural Stereotypes ◽  
Serial Verb Constructions ◽  
Event Argument ◽  
Verb Constructions ◽  
Serial Verbs ◽  
Serial Verb Construction ◽  
Serial Verb

A serial verb construction is a sequence of verbs which act together as a single predicate. Serial verbs are always monoclausal and are pronounced as a single verb would be. The components of a serial verb construction share tense, aspect, modality, reality status, evidentiality, mood, and also polarity values. A serial verb construction typically refers to what can be conceptualized as one event, and one recognizable event type, in terms of cultural stereotypes available to the speakers. Serial verbs tend to share at least one argument. An overwhelming majority of serial verbs have a single overall argument structure, with the subjects, objects and obliques belonging to the whole construction. In switch-function serial verb constructions, the O (or the recipient) of the first component is the same as the S (rarely, the A) of the second one. Event-argument and resultative serial verb constructions share no arguments.

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