French missing object constructions

This paper discusses a class of French à-infinitival constructions, where the missing direct object corresponds to an external argument, either being the antecedent noun in an attributive use, or else a raised argument in a subject or object predication or in the tough construction.  We investigate the internal and external properties of these constructions and show that (i) the construction displays passive-like properties and (ii) control and raising verbs may intervene between the marker à and the missing object verb, as shown on the basis of a corpus study. We observe that while the construction as a whole behaves like a passive where the erstwhile logical object ends up being promoted to external argument, the logical subject is still accessible for control, both from within the à-infinitive and from outside. Building on Grover (1995), we analyse these double subjects by way of a two-step passivisation, where the direct object valency is lexically promoted to subject without concomitant subject demotion. Raising of the missing object as a secondary subject will make it available on the marker à, which finally promotes it to external argument, thereby completing the passivisation effect. The present analysis thus captures the full set of à-infinitival missing object constructions in a unified fashion, capturing its passive-like properties and the extended domain of locality.

PROBLEMS OF TERAHERTZ RADIATION METROLOGY IN MEDICINE

The purpose of this work is to consider the issue of safe propagation of terahertz radiation in bio-logical objects. The article gives a brief review of studies of the influence mechanisms of terahertz radiation on biological environments. It considers optical characteristics of blood and its components in the THz frequency range. It is found that the boundaries of the terahertz wavelength range are not precisely defined. It is established that the recently discovered "photon jet" effect allows terahertz ra-diation to penetrate biological objects to considerable depths, due to the effect of a quasi-optical mesoscale waveguide composed of spherical or disk particles. Amplification of small-sized particles that form a photon jet can significantly increase the value of the radiation intensity density at the bio-logical object of study.

Quality Evaluation for Evolving Conceptual Database Design

The chapter is concerned with the proposal of a new approach of conceptual database design, called evolving conceptual database design, which exploits the structure for the preservation of database classes/concepts within the design. In order to discuss the opportunity to take into consideration this approach, the structure is constructed starting from a database conceptual graph. The leaves of the structure are mapped to a logical/object database graph. Horizontal steps of constructive logical database design extend the model. The computational costs required to design the structure for the preservation of database classes/concepts, as well as the qualitative/conceptual costs of the logical models resulting from the constructive design, are discussed.

Quality Evaluation for Evolving Conceptual Database Design

The article is concerned with the proposal of a new approach of conceptual database design, called evolving conceptual database design, which exploits the structure for the preservation of database classes/concepts within the design. In order to discuss the opportunity to take into consideration this approach, the structure is constructed starting from a database conceptual graph. The leaves of the structure are mapped to a logical/object database graph. Horizontal steps of constructive logical database design extend the model. The computational costs required to design the structure for the preservation of database classes/concepts, as well as the qualitative/conceptual costs of the logical models resulting from the constructive design, are discussed.

The Ergative in Warlpiri: A Case Study

The DP subject of a Warlpiri finite clause containing verbs of a certain class is marked with the ergative suffix whereas other DP subjects are morphologically unmarked. This chapter examines the wider distribution in Warlpiri of the ergative morpheme and the varied functions of ergative-marked DPs in both finite and non-finite clauses. Particular focus is on the relationship between the subject-marking and instrument adjunct-marking role of the ergative suffix. Unlike finite transitive clauses in which both an agent subject and an instrument adjunct are marked ergative, in non-finite clauses only one of these can be marked ergative: the instrument adjunct in clauses where the agent subject is realized either as phonologically null PRO or as a dative case-marked DP external to the verb phrase; the agent or instrument subject contained in the infinitival phrase embedded in a stative predicate whose external subject is co-referent with the logical object of the embedded verb.

Antipassive

This chapter presents typical properties of the antipassive, addresses its cross-linguistic distribution, and discusses main existing analyses. “Antipassives” are constructions in which the logical object of a transitive (two-place) predicate is not realized as a direct object, but instead appears as a non-core argument or left unexpressed (but presupposed). The morphological realization of the antipassive is more varied than is usually assumed; in particular, pseudo noun incorporation, true noun incorporation, and bi-absolutive constructions can instantiate the antipassive. The antipassive and the passive are not mutually exclusive; a number of examples in this chapter provide empirical evidence in support of antipassive/passive compatibility. The antipassive is not limited to ergative languages, although it may be more noticeable under ergative configuration.

Terminological problems of sia-verbs usage in Ukrainian special texts

In next years, it is necessary to draft and adopt thousands of standards and other normative documents identical to the European ones. This makes it important to formulate and adopt clear and unambiguous rules for drafting these documents. These rules should fully meet the norms of the modern Ukrainian language. One of the problems is related to the usage rules for verbs with affixes -sia (hereinafter referred to as the sia-verbs), which represent about a third (33%) of the total number of Ukrainian verbs. The essence of the problem with these verbs is that under the influence of the Russian language sia-verbs are widely used in passive constructions, which, according to leading Ukrainian linguists, don’t meet the norms of the modern Ukrainian language. The problem with these verbs is that under the influence of the Russian language sia-verbs are still widely used in passive constructions, which, according to leading Ukrainian linguists, don’t meet the norms of the modern Ukrainian language. The purpose of this article is to suggest consistent terms and definitions of basic concepts, which are needed to draft these rules, and clear criteria that would allow clearly distinguish inherent Ukrainian constructions from intruded ones. In the article, the terms for denoting verbs with affixes –sia are analysed and the advantages of the term “sia-verb” over other terms are shown. The confusion behind the usage of the terms “process” and “action”, which are very important for the formulation of rules, is investigated. It is suggested to use the term “process” as a generic term denoting the categorical meaning of the verb as parts of speech, regardless of the specific lexical meanings of an individual verb, and to use the term “action” as specific term denoting the kind of process, which is generated and directly stimulated by a logical subject. It is noted that using these terms for denotation of other concepts is inappropriate, because it can lead to confusion. The difference is shown between the transitivity/intransitivity of a process as a semantic concept and the transitivity/intransitivity of verbs that name these processes. In semantics, the criterion of process transitivity is the direction of the process and its extension to a logical object other that the logical subject. Classification of verbs by transitivity is solely based on a formally morphological criterion associated with a grammatical object, which may or may not be required by the verb used in a certain meaning. Examples are given, which demonstrate that the semantic and grammatical approaches to transitivity do not always match. It is shown that for sia-verbs, the main and primary meaning is the reflexive one (broadly speaking, this is the meaning of an intransitive process, which is focused, looped within the realm of the logical subject that, at the same time, can be the logical object). There have been selected nine sub-meanings of the reflexive meaning, that convey different shades of reflexivety – from processes focused on the logical subject to the processes having a very wide general relation to it, including ones that convey permanent and defining intransitive possessive abilities (properties). The names for these sub-meanings present in the literature have been analyzed and a consistent system of Ukrainian terms is suggested for them. These terms are built based on a pattern, which, on the one hand, makes these specific concepts’ relation with the generic concept “reverse meaning” obvious thanks to the generic characteristic, and, on the other hand, explicitly shows the difference of every specific concept from other subordinate concepts via their delimiting characteristics. Five of these terms are generally accepted, one is chosen from the options available in the literature, but three more terms are suggested from the scratch to meet the requirement of being systematic. Thereby, the Ukrainian language naturally uses the sia-verb in the situations, where the speaker treats the process as intransitive one, i.e. there is no logical subject separated from the logical object. Therefore intransitivity / transitivity of processes is the criterion that makes it possible to distinguish inherent Ukrainian reflexive and impersonal constructions from intruded ones.

Phi-Agreement in Past Participle Constructions

I argue in this paper that agreeing past participles are merged externally in the derivation in V endorsed with a feature [+resultative], whereas non-agreeing past participles are bound to value a feature [+perfective] against the have-auxiliary. Phi-agreement on the former kind of participle occurs since the meaning [+resultative] denotes a property of the logical object, which happens to merge in the position of sister to V-en. As postulated in standard frameworks, phi-agreement consists in that the V-en form values uninterpretable phi-features against the DP object. In contrast with agreeing past participles, non-agreeing past participles are merged externally in the form of V and they get their –en suffix in v valued against the have-auxiliary once the latter enters the derivation. The meaning or interpretation of this –en suffix is [+perfective] or [+anterior]. No phi-agreement occurs between these V-en forms marked [+perfective] and their logical object (whenever they select for one) since [+perfective] is a property of the event or situation as a whole, and not of the object. It is further suggested that the specific Agree relation that is phi-agreement appears not to be subject to configurations of asymmetric c-command, but to just occur on external Merge of the DP that bears the corresponding valued, interpretable phi-features.