On the distribution of subject properties in formulaic presentationals of Germanic and Romance
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Volker Gast
Abstract
The present study deals with the distribution of subject properties in ‘formulaic’ presentational constructions such as Engl. there is NP, Fr. il y’a NP and Span. hay NP, approaching the problem from a diachronic-typological perspective. Nine major types of presentational constructions are distinguished by cross-classifying the three-valued parameters ‘type of existential predicate’ and ‘type of expletive’. Moreover, a language-level parameter is introduced which distinguishes languages allowing verb-initial order in thetic sentences (‘thetic-V1 languages’) from languages disallowing such an order (‘thetic-XV languages’). It is shown that thetic-XV languages tend to use expletives in their existential formulas, which attract subject properties and qualify as impersonal. By contrast, thetic-V1 languages often do not use expletives at all, and if they do, these do not attract subject properties. The corresponding constructions are consequently not impersonal. Accordingly, a correlation can be established between the parameters ‘thetic-XV’ vs. ‘thetic-V1’, on the one hand, and ‘impersonal presentational’ vs. ‘personal presentational’, on the other.Keywords: presentative; presentational; expletive; existential; thetic
Abstract
The present study deals with the distribution of subject properties in ‘formulaic’ presentational constructions such as Engl. there is NP, Fr. il y’a NP and Span. hay NP, approaching the problem from a diachronic-typological perspective. Nine major types of presentational constructions are distinguished by cross-classifying the three-valued parameters ‘type of existential predicate’ and ‘type of expletive’. Moreover, a language-level parameter is introduced which distinguishes languages allowing verb-initial order in thetic sentences (‘thetic-V1 languages’) from languages disallowing such an order (‘thetic-XV languages’). It is shown that thetic-XV languages tend to use expletives in their existential formulas, which attract subject properties and qualify as impersonal. By contrast, thetic-V1 languages often do not use expletives at all, and if they do, these do not attract subject properties. The corresponding constructions are consequently not impersonal. Accordingly, a correlation can be established between the parameters ‘thetic-XV’ vs. ‘thetic-V1’, on the one hand, and ‘impersonal presentational’ vs. ‘personal presentational’, on the other.Keywords: presentative; presentational; expletive; existential; thetic
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
