Passive and argument structure
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Tor A. Åfarli
Abstract
This paper argues that argument structure does not exist in the sense of a lexical specification of the number and types of arguments of a given verb, but, rather, that argument structure is essentially syntactic, stemming from an interaction between independently generated (syntactic) frames and the (non-linguistic) conceptual content of the verb and the arguments.
This connects to passivization in the sense that it is not dependent on the availability of the appropriate argument structure in the active version of the verb, such specification not existing in the first place. It is claimed that any verb that can be assigned an agentive (conceptual) reading can thus be passivized, even if it is an unaccusative verb. Thus, even though passivization is obviously a structural phenomenon, it is triggered by semantics.
Abstract
This paper argues that argument structure does not exist in the sense of a lexical specification of the number and types of arguments of a given verb, but, rather, that argument structure is essentially syntactic, stemming from an interaction between independently generated (syntactic) frames and the (non-linguistic) conceptual content of the verb and the arguments.
This connects to passivization in the sense that it is not dependent on the availability of the appropriate argument structure in the active version of the verb, such specification not existing in the first place. It is claimed that any verb that can be assigned an agentive (conceptual) reading can thus be passivized, even if it is an unaccusative verb. Thus, even though passivization is obviously a structural phenomenon, it is triggered by semantics.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Contributor's addresses vii
- Abbreviations ix
- Introduction: Passivization and typology 1
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Active–passive and reflexives
- Passives in Lithuanian (in comparison with Russian) 29
- Passive and middle in Indo-European 62
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Triggers — aspectual, semantic, and discourse-pragmatic: case studies
- Pragmatic nature of Mandarin passive-like constructions 83
- Development of thùuk passive marker in Thai 115
- The passives of Modern Irish 132
- The passive in Erzya-Mordvin folklore 165
- Grammatical voice and tense-aspect in Slavic 191
- Passive in Nganasan 213
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Actor demotion
- 'Agent defocusing' revisited 232
- Relations between Actor-demoting devices in Lithuanian 274
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Grammaticalization in long-term diachrony
- The rise and grammaticalization paths of Latin fieri and facere as passive auxiliaries 311
- Grammatical relations in passive clauses 337
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Argument structure and case
- Two types of detransitive constructions in the dialects of Japanese 352
- Passive and argument structure 373
- Case-driven agree, EPP, and passive in Turkish 383
- A unique feature of the direct passive in Japanese 403
-
Actor demotion
- Passive as a feature-suppression operation 442
-
Event semantics — Aspectual and semantic triggers
- The compositional nature of the passive 462
- The impersonal passive 502
- Simple preterit and composite perfect tense 518
- Author index 544
- Subject index 548
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Contributor's addresses vii
- Abbreviations ix
- Introduction: Passivization and typology 1
-
Active–passive and reflexives
- Passives in Lithuanian (in comparison with Russian) 29
- Passive and middle in Indo-European 62
-
Triggers — aspectual, semantic, and discourse-pragmatic: case studies
- Pragmatic nature of Mandarin passive-like constructions 83
- Development of thùuk passive marker in Thai 115
- The passives of Modern Irish 132
- The passive in Erzya-Mordvin folklore 165
- Grammatical voice and tense-aspect in Slavic 191
- Passive in Nganasan 213
-
Actor demotion
- 'Agent defocusing' revisited 232
- Relations between Actor-demoting devices in Lithuanian 274
-
Grammaticalization in long-term diachrony
- The rise and grammaticalization paths of Latin fieri and facere as passive auxiliaries 311
- Grammatical relations in passive clauses 337
-
Argument structure and case
- Two types of detransitive constructions in the dialects of Japanese 352
- Passive and argument structure 373
- Case-driven agree, EPP, and passive in Turkish 383
- A unique feature of the direct passive in Japanese 403
-
Actor demotion
- Passive as a feature-suppression operation 442
-
Event semantics — Aspectual and semantic triggers
- The compositional nature of the passive 462
- The impersonal passive 502
- Simple preterit and composite perfect tense 518
- Author index 544
- Subject index 548
