Arabic ‘labile verbs’ in form III
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Alexander Letuchiy
Abstract
The article discusses labile (also known as ambitransitive) verbs in literary Arabic. I show that, though Arabic does not have a rich system of labile verbs, some existing cases of lability (labile verbs of form III) are particularly interesting from the typological point of view. Their unusual property is that the opposition between semantically causative vs. non-causative uses (and number of syntactic arguments) do not always correlate with syntactic (in)transitivity. Verbs of form III have both possible types of non-standard uses: transitive non-causative and intransitive causative uses, as well as the two standard uses (transitive causative and intransitive non-causative uses). I link this non-standard type of lability to some general features of voice and transitivity in Arabic. At the end of the article, some cases of lability outside form III are discussed.
Abstract
The article discusses labile (also known as ambitransitive) verbs in literary Arabic. I show that, though Arabic does not have a rich system of labile verbs, some existing cases of lability (labile verbs of form III) are particularly interesting from the typological point of view. Their unusual property is that the opposition between semantically causative vs. non-causative uses (and number of syntactic arguments) do not always correlate with syntactic (in)transitivity. Verbs of form III have both possible types of non-standard uses: transitive non-causative and intransitive causative uses, as well as the two standard uses (transitive causative and intransitive non-causative uses). I link this non-standard type of lability to some general features of voice and transitivity in Arabic. At the end of the article, some cases of lability outside form III are discussed.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of abbreviations vii
- Preface ix
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Part I. Theoretical perspectives on verb valency change
- Markedness effects in applicative formation 3
- Morphosyntactic defectiveness in complex predicate formation 31
- Two types of locative alternation 51
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Part II. Verb valency changes across languages
- Transitivity and valency-changing operations in Huasteca Nahuatl 81
- The semantics of Nahuatl tla- constructions 107
- Valency-changing operations in Yaqui resultatives 133
- Tlachichilco Tepehua 165
- A panorama of valency changing operations in Seri 193
- The antipassive marking in Mocoví 227
- Arabic ‘labile verbs’ in form III 257
- Valency-decreasing operations in a valency-increasing language? 285
- Language index 305
- Subject index 307
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of abbreviations vii
- Preface ix
-
Part I. Theoretical perspectives on verb valency change
- Markedness effects in applicative formation 3
- Morphosyntactic defectiveness in complex predicate formation 31
- Two types of locative alternation 51
-
Part II. Verb valency changes across languages
- Transitivity and valency-changing operations in Huasteca Nahuatl 81
- The semantics of Nahuatl tla- constructions 107
- Valency-changing operations in Yaqui resultatives 133
- Tlachichilco Tepehua 165
- A panorama of valency changing operations in Seri 193
- The antipassive marking in Mocoví 227
- Arabic ‘labile verbs’ in form III 257
- Valency-decreasing operations in a valency-increasing language? 285
- Language index 305
- Subject index 307
