Chapter 2. Oblique serial verbs in Creole/Pidgin languages and beyond
-
Ludovico Franco
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the syntax of (argument introducing/valency increasing) serial verbs in Creole/Pidgin languages, providing empirical arguments for the model of grammatical relations advanced in a series of recent works by Manzini and Savoia (2011a, 2011b), Manzini and Franco (2016), Franco and Manzini (2017a,b), Manzini et al. (2015, 2020). These authors lay out an analysis of the syntax and interpretation of dative to, instrumental with and Differential Object Marking (DOM) relators, based on the assumption that these elements are predicates endowed with an elementary interpretive content interacting with the internal organization of the event. We assume that these oblique relators, expressing a primitive elementary part-whole/possession relation, may be instantiated also by serial (light) verbs in the grammar of natural languages. We provide a formal approach to cross-categorial variation in argument marking, trying to outline a unified morpho-syntactic template, in which so-called ‘cases’ do not configure a specialized linguistic lexicon of functional features/categories – on the contrary they help us outline an underlying ontology of natural languages, of which they pick up some of the most elementary relations. Such primitive relations can be expressed by different lexical means (e.g. case, adpositions, light verbs, etc.).
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the syntax of (argument introducing/valency increasing) serial verbs in Creole/Pidgin languages, providing empirical arguments for the model of grammatical relations advanced in a series of recent works by Manzini and Savoia (2011a, 2011b), Manzini and Franco (2016), Franco and Manzini (2017a,b), Manzini et al. (2015, 2020). These authors lay out an analysis of the syntax and interpretation of dative to, instrumental with and Differential Object Marking (DOM) relators, based on the assumption that these elements are predicates endowed with an elementary interpretive content interacting with the internal organization of the event. We assume that these oblique relators, expressing a primitive elementary part-whole/possession relation, may be instantiated also by serial (light) verbs in the grammar of natural languages. We provide a formal approach to cross-categorial variation in argument marking, trying to outline a unified morpho-syntactic template, in which so-called ‘cases’ do not configure a specialized linguistic lexicon of functional features/categories – on the contrary they help us outline an underlying ontology of natural languages, of which they pick up some of the most elementary relations. Such primitive relations can be expressed by different lexical means (e.g. case, adpositions, light verbs, etc.).
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Dedication v
- Table of contents vii
- Preface ix
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
- Chapter 2. Oblique serial verbs in Creole/Pidgin languages and beyond 16
- Chapter 3. A syntactic interpretation of the applicative-causative syncretism 49
- Chapter 4. Axial Parts beyond space 73
- Chapter 5. Existential sentences in Romance based Creoles 114
- Chapter 6. The morphosyntax of Italian ethnic adjectives 134
- Chapter 7. The morphosyntactic interaction of kinship terms with evaluative morphemes in Italian 169
- Chapter 8. Conclusions 186
- Bibliography 188
- Subject index 215
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Dedication v
- Table of contents vii
- Preface ix
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
- Chapter 2. Oblique serial verbs in Creole/Pidgin languages and beyond 16
- Chapter 3. A syntactic interpretation of the applicative-causative syncretism 49
- Chapter 4. Axial Parts beyond space 73
- Chapter 5. Existential sentences in Romance based Creoles 114
- Chapter 6. The morphosyntax of Italian ethnic adjectives 134
- Chapter 7. The morphosyntactic interaction of kinship terms with evaluative morphemes in Italian 169
- Chapter 8. Conclusions 186
- Bibliography 188
- Subject index 215
