Home Linguistics & Semiotics Chapter 12. Agreement alternations in Modern Hebrew
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Chapter 12. Agreement alternations in Modern Hebrew

  • Nurit Melnik
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
Search
Usage-Based Studies in Modern Hebrew
This chapter is in the book Usage-Based Studies in Modern Hebrew

Abstract

Agreement is a type of relationship between two linguistic elements, often characterized as an asymmetric relationship where one element, the controller, determines the agreement features of another, the target, within a particular syntactic domain. Although according to prescriptive grammars, agreement relationships are stable and deterministic, usage-based data reveal considerable variation. Building on data retrieved from heTenTen 2014, a billion-token web-crawled Hebrew corpus, we present and discuss two types of agreement alternations: (1) agreement targets which alternate between exhibiting feminine vs. masculine gender, full vs. default agreement, and formal vs. semantic agreement, and (2) controller competition, where an agreement target is controlled by one of two possible controllers. Naturally, this perspective on agreement highlights the exceptions and overlooks the regularities, yet we argue that an examination of such alternations provides clues as to the true nature of the agreement relation.

Abstract

Agreement is a type of relationship between two linguistic elements, often characterized as an asymmetric relationship where one element, the controller, determines the agreement features of another, the target, within a particular syntactic domain. Although according to prescriptive grammars, agreement relationships are stable and deterministic, usage-based data reveal considerable variation. Building on data retrieved from heTenTen 2014, a billion-token web-crawled Hebrew corpus, we present and discuss two types of agreement alternations: (1) agreement targets which alternate between exhibiting feminine vs. masculine gender, full vs. default agreement, and formal vs. semantic agreement, and (2) controller competition, where an agreement target is controlled by one of two possible controllers. Naturally, this perspective on agreement highlights the exceptions and overlooks the regularities, yet we argue that an examination of such alternations provides clues as to the true nature of the agreement relation.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of authors vii
  4. Acknowledgements ix
  5. Transcription and Coding. Transcription, transliteration, Hebrew-specific coding xi
  6. Introduction 1
  7. Part I. General background
  8. Chapter 1. Setting Modern Hebrew in space, time, and culture 19
  9. Chapter 2. Historical overview of Modern Hebrew 27
  10. Chapter 3. Genetic affiliation 41
  11. Chapter 4. Sociolinguistics of Modern Hebrew 51
  12. Chapter 5. Prescriptive activity in Modern Hebrew 97
  13. Chapter 6. Notes on Modern Hebrew phonology and orthography 131
  14. Part II. Morpho-lexicon
  15. Chapter 7. Inflection 147
  16. Chapter 8. Derivation 203
  17. Chapter 9. Parts of speech categories in the lexicon of Modern Hebrew 265
  18. Chapter 10. Voice distinctions 331
  19. Chapter 11. Nominalizations 375
  20. Part III. Syntax
  21. Chapter 12. Agreement alternations in Modern Hebrew 421
  22. Chapter 13. Transitivity and valence 465
  23. Chapter 14. Genitive ( smixut ) constructions in Modern Hebrew 507
  24. Chapter 15. Impersonal and pseudo-impersonal constructions 539
  25. Chapter 16. Negation in Modern Hebrew 583
  26. Chapter 17. List constructions 623
  27. Chapter 18. A usage-based typology of Modern Hebrew syntax 659
  28. Index 677
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.210.13mel

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of authors vii
  4. Acknowledgements ix
  5. Transcription and Coding. Transcription, transliteration, Hebrew-specific coding xi
  6. Introduction 1
  7. Part I. General background
  8. Chapter 1. Setting Modern Hebrew in space, time, and culture 19
  9. Chapter 2. Historical overview of Modern Hebrew 27
  10. Chapter 3. Genetic affiliation 41
  11. Chapter 4. Sociolinguistics of Modern Hebrew 51
  12. Chapter 5. Prescriptive activity in Modern Hebrew 97
  13. Chapter 6. Notes on Modern Hebrew phonology and orthography 131
  14. Part II. Morpho-lexicon
  15. Chapter 7. Inflection 147
  16. Chapter 8. Derivation 203
  17. Chapter 9. Parts of speech categories in the lexicon of Modern Hebrew 265
  18. Chapter 10. Voice distinctions 331
  19. Chapter 11. Nominalizations 375
  20. Part III. Syntax
  21. Chapter 12. Agreement alternations in Modern Hebrew 421
  22. Chapter 13. Transitivity and valence 465
  23. Chapter 14. Genitive ( smixut ) constructions in Modern Hebrew 507
  24. Chapter 15. Impersonal and pseudo-impersonal constructions 539
  25. Chapter 16. Negation in Modern Hebrew 583
  26. Chapter 17. List constructions 623
  27. Chapter 18. A usage-based typology of Modern Hebrew syntax 659
  28. Index 677
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 9.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/slcs.210.13mel/html
Scroll to top button