Caused accompanied motion constructions in Vera’a
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Stefan Schnell
Abstract
The expression of bring and take events (so-called ‘caused accompanied motion (CAM)’ events) in the Oceanic language Vera’a (North Vanuatu) is analysed in terms of lexical and constructional compositionality. The two lexical verbs centrally involved in CAM expressions have fairly general semantic content not specific to CAM events, meaning ‘move sth.’ and ‘accompany’. These are used in constructional frames with dative and locative prepositions, serialization with verbs of motion, and directional adverbs and particles. Such constructions can then yield a CAM reading. However, they can also receive a non-CAM reading, so that the verbalisation of CAM events is ultimately a matter of pragmatic inference in Vera’a and never unambiguously encoded. Different verbs are used to specify manner of handling themes, and manner of motion as well as direction can be incorporated in motion verbs in initial position of verb serialization (satellite-framed).
Abstract
The expression of bring and take events (so-called ‘caused accompanied motion (CAM)’ events) in the Oceanic language Vera’a (North Vanuatu) is analysed in terms of lexical and constructional compositionality. The two lexical verbs centrally involved in CAM expressions have fairly general semantic content not specific to CAM events, meaning ‘move sth.’ and ‘accompany’. These are used in constructional frames with dative and locative prepositions, serialization with verbs of motion, and directional adverbs and particles. Such constructions can then yield a CAM reading. However, they can also receive a non-CAM reading, so that the verbalisation of CAM events is ultimately a matter of pragmatic inference in Vera’a and never unambiguously encoded. Different verbs are used to specify manner of handling themes, and manner of motion as well as direction can be incorporated in motion verbs in initial position of verb serialization (satellite-framed).
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface and acknowledgements vii
- Bringing and taking 1
- Caused accompanied motion in Bora 43
- The expression of directed caused accompanied motion (CAM) events in Chipaya 57
- Expressing directional caused accompanied motion in Movima 77
- The expression of directed caused accompanied motion events in Yurakaré 101
- Directed caused accompanied motion events in Saliba-Logea 147
- Directed caused accompanied motion events in Sudest, an Oceanic language with classificatory verbs 187
- Expressions of directed caused accompanied motion events in Totoli, a western Austronesian language of Indonesia 219
- Caused accompanied motion constructions in Vera’a 243
- Expressions of directed caused accompanied motion in Komnzo 273
- The expression of directed caused accompanied motion events in Savosavo 301
- Expressing events of directed caused accompanied motion in Qaqet 341
- Expressions of directed caused accompanied motion events in Yali 369
- Events of caused accompanied motion in Qaqet and Dëne Sųłıné child language corpora 397
- Index 435
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface and acknowledgements vii
- Bringing and taking 1
- Caused accompanied motion in Bora 43
- The expression of directed caused accompanied motion (CAM) events in Chipaya 57
- Expressing directional caused accompanied motion in Movima 77
- The expression of directed caused accompanied motion events in Yurakaré 101
- Directed caused accompanied motion events in Saliba-Logea 147
- Directed caused accompanied motion events in Sudest, an Oceanic language with classificatory verbs 187
- Expressions of directed caused accompanied motion events in Totoli, a western Austronesian language of Indonesia 219
- Caused accompanied motion constructions in Vera’a 243
- Expressions of directed caused accompanied motion in Komnzo 273
- The expression of directed caused accompanied motion events in Savosavo 301
- Expressing events of directed caused accompanied motion in Qaqet 341
- Expressions of directed caused accompanied motion events in Yali 369
- Events of caused accompanied motion in Qaqet and Dëne Sųłıné child language corpora 397
- Index 435
