Some semantic and pragmatic aspects of object alternation in Early Vedic
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Eystein Dahl
Abstract
In Early Vedic, the earliest attested stage of Indo-Aryan, many two-place verbs allow their object argument to be alternately expressed by two or more case categories, i.e., they show object alternation. In this paper I examine three different object alternation patterns and show that they have similar semantic and pragmatic properties. I argue that the object case marking and object alternation options of a given verb depends on two semantic dimensions, namely its relative inherent transitivity and its aspectual properties. Interestingly, the use of the Early Vedic case categories as object markers appears to be partially independent of their use as adverbial adjuncts. The various object alternation patterns found in Early Vedic represent a fruitful starting point for exploring the morphosyntax-semantics interface in this language.
Abstract
In Early Vedic, the earliest attested stage of Indo-Aryan, many two-place verbs allow their object argument to be alternately expressed by two or more case categories, i.e., they show object alternation. In this paper I examine three different object alternation patterns and show that they have similar semantic and pragmatic properties. I argue that the object case marking and object alternation options of a given verb depends on two semantic dimensions, namely its relative inherent transitivity and its aspectual properties. Interestingly, the use of the Early Vedic case categories as object markers appears to be partially independent of their use as adverbial adjuncts. The various object alternation patterns found in Early Vedic represent a fruitful starting point for exploring the morphosyntax-semantics interface in this language.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Introduction: The role of semantic, pragmatic and discourse factors in the development of case ix
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Part I. Semantically and aspectually motivated synchronic case variation
- Case variation in Gothic absolute constructions 3
- Some semantic and pragmatic aspects of object alternation in Early Vedic 23
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Part II. Discourse motivated subject marking
- The case of the shifty ergative marker: A pragmatic shift in the ergative marker of one Australian mixed language 59
- How useful is case morphology? The loss of the Old French two-case system within a theory of Preferred Argument structure 93
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Part III. Reduction or expansion of case marker distribution
- The development of case in Germanic 123
- A usage-based approach to change: Old Russian possessive constructions 161
- Lacking in Latvian: Case variation from a cognitive and constructional perspective 181
- Verb classes and dative objects in Insular Scandinavian 203
- Transitive adjectives in Japanese 225
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Part IV. Case syncretism motivated by syntax, semantics or language contact
- Patterns of development, patterns of syncretism of relational morphology in the Bodic languages 261
- The evolution of local cases and their grammatical equivalent in Greek and Latin 283
- Argument structure and alignment variations and changes in Late Latin 307
- Case loss in Texas German: The influence of semantic and pragmatic factors 347
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Part V. Case splits motivated by pragmatics, metonymy and subjectification
- Semantic role to new information in Meithei 377
- From less personal to more personal: Subjectification of ni -marked NPs in Japanese discourse 401
- Author index 423
- Subject index 427
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Introduction: The role of semantic, pragmatic and discourse factors in the development of case ix
-
Part I. Semantically and aspectually motivated synchronic case variation
- Case variation in Gothic absolute constructions 3
- Some semantic and pragmatic aspects of object alternation in Early Vedic 23
-
Part II. Discourse motivated subject marking
- The case of the shifty ergative marker: A pragmatic shift in the ergative marker of one Australian mixed language 59
- How useful is case morphology? The loss of the Old French two-case system within a theory of Preferred Argument structure 93
-
Part III. Reduction or expansion of case marker distribution
- The development of case in Germanic 123
- A usage-based approach to change: Old Russian possessive constructions 161
- Lacking in Latvian: Case variation from a cognitive and constructional perspective 181
- Verb classes and dative objects in Insular Scandinavian 203
- Transitive adjectives in Japanese 225
-
Part IV. Case syncretism motivated by syntax, semantics or language contact
- Patterns of development, patterns of syncretism of relational morphology in the Bodic languages 261
- The evolution of local cases and their grammatical equivalent in Greek and Latin 283
- Argument structure and alignment variations and changes in Late Latin 307
- Case loss in Texas German: The influence of semantic and pragmatic factors 347
-
Part V. Case splits motivated by pragmatics, metonymy and subjectification
- Semantic role to new information in Meithei 377
- From less personal to more personal: Subjectification of ni -marked NPs in Japanese discourse 401
- Author index 423
- Subject index 427
