John Benjamins Publishing Company
Towards a typology of impersonal constructions
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Abstract
The present article proposes a semantic map for the domain of impersonal constructions. Following Keenan, we assume that different varieties of impersonal constructions register loss of the functional subject properties (such as definiteness, topicality and agentivity). It is argued that different functional varieties of impersonal constructions (where the subject lacks some of the functional properties of a prototypical subject) are coded by different types of impersonal constructions, although certain constructions have a broader range of applications. On the basis of this partial overlap between different coding strategies for different functional varieties of impersonal constructions, we construct a semantic map for the impersonal domain, which can be used to represent and constrain variation of coding of impersonal constructions across languages.
Abstract
The present article proposes a semantic map for the domain of impersonal constructions. Following Keenan, we assume that different varieties of impersonal constructions register loss of the functional subject properties (such as definiteness, topicality and agentivity). It is argued that different functional varieties of impersonal constructions (where the subject lacks some of the functional properties of a prototypical subject) are coded by different types of impersonal constructions, although certain constructions have a broader range of applications. On the basis of this partial overlap between different coding strategies for different functional varieties of impersonal constructions, we construct a semantic map for the impersonal domain, which can be used to represent and constrain variation of coding of impersonal constructions across languages.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Introduction 1
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Part I. Impersonal constructions
- Towards a typology of impersonal constructions 19
- Overlap and complementarity in reference impersonals 57
- Verbs of motion 91
- On the distribution of subject properties in formulaic presentationals of Germanic and Romance 127
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Part II. Impersonal constructions
- Impersonal constructions and accusative subjects in Late Latin 169
- From passive to impersonal 189
- Passive to anticausative through impersonalization 229
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Part III. Cross-linguistic variation in Impersonal constructions
- The Maa (Eastern Nilotic) Impersonal construction 257
- Impersonal constructions in Jóola-Banjal 285
- Impersonal configurations and theticity 307
- Revisiting impersonal constructions in Modern Hebrew 323
- The elephant in the room 357
- Meteorological verbs in Uralic languages – are there any impersonal structures to be found 395
- Impersonal constructions in Ket 439
- Impersonal verbs in Central Alaskan Yupik (Eskimoan) 459
- Impersonals in Innu 489
- A diachronic study of the impersonal passive in Ainu 517
- Referential impersonal constructions in Mandarin 547
- Impersonal constructions in some Oceanic languages 581
- Impersonal constructions in Umpithamu and the Lamalamic languages 607
- Author index 627
- Language index 633
- Language index 637
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Impersonal constructions
- Towards a typology of impersonal constructions 19
- Overlap and complementarity in reference impersonals 57
- Verbs of motion 91
- On the distribution of subject properties in formulaic presentationals of Germanic and Romance 127
-
Part II. Impersonal constructions
- Impersonal constructions and accusative subjects in Late Latin 169
- From passive to impersonal 189
- Passive to anticausative through impersonalization 229
-
Part III. Cross-linguistic variation in Impersonal constructions
- The Maa (Eastern Nilotic) Impersonal construction 257
- Impersonal constructions in Jóola-Banjal 285
- Impersonal configurations and theticity 307
- Revisiting impersonal constructions in Modern Hebrew 323
- The elephant in the room 357
- Meteorological verbs in Uralic languages – are there any impersonal structures to be found 395
- Impersonal constructions in Ket 439
- Impersonal verbs in Central Alaskan Yupik (Eskimoan) 459
- Impersonals in Innu 489
- A diachronic study of the impersonal passive in Ainu 517
- Referential impersonal constructions in Mandarin 547
- Impersonal constructions in some Oceanic languages 581
- Impersonal constructions in Umpithamu and the Lamalamic languages 607
- Author index 627
- Language index 633
- Language index 637
