Long-distance Genitive of Negation in Lithuanian
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Peter M. Arkadiev
Abstract
This paper investigates the phenomenon of the replacement of Accusative case marking on the direct object of a transitive infinitive (or, rarely, participle) by the Genitive when the non-finite clause is embedded under a negated matrix verb. Basing myself on data collected from native speakers, corpora and the Internet, I show that the phenomenon of long-distance Genitive of Negation in Lithuanian is acceptable (and often obligatory) with various kinds of matrix verbs: subject control verbs, object control verbs with Dative, Genitive and Accusative objects, and some complex noun + verb predicates. In some of these instances, Genitive of Negation can affect more than one direct object. Besides that, the case-marking rule is virtually unbounded in its application, being able to target deeply embedded direct objects, provided that there is a chain of infinitival clauses. The application of this rule shows considerable variation, which depends on the type of the matrix verb, on the degree of syntactic embedding, on word order and also to a large extent on individual preferences of speakers. From an areal perspective Lithuanian is shown to pattern with the more conservative Slavic languages (Polish and Slovene), Latgalian and the Baltic Finnic languages Estonian and Finnish, rather than with the closely related Latvian, which, like Czech, has abolished Genitive of Negation almost completely.
Abstract
This paper investigates the phenomenon of the replacement of Accusative case marking on the direct object of a transitive infinitive (or, rarely, participle) by the Genitive when the non-finite clause is embedded under a negated matrix verb. Basing myself on data collected from native speakers, corpora and the Internet, I show that the phenomenon of long-distance Genitive of Negation in Lithuanian is acceptable (and often obligatory) with various kinds of matrix verbs: subject control verbs, object control verbs with Dative, Genitive and Accusative objects, and some complex noun + verb predicates. In some of these instances, Genitive of Negation can affect more than one direct object. Besides that, the case-marking rule is virtually unbounded in its application, being able to target deeply embedded direct objects, provided that there is a chain of infinitival clauses. The application of this rule shows considerable variation, which depends on the type of the matrix verb, on the degree of syntactic embedding, on word order and also to a large extent on individual preferences of speakers. From an areal perspective Lithuanian is shown to pattern with the more conservative Slavic languages (Polish and Slovene), Latgalian and the Baltic Finnic languages Estonian and Finnish, rather than with the closely related Latvian, which, like Czech, has abolished Genitive of Negation almost completely.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Introduction 1
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Case marking and case alternations
- Long-distance Genitive of Negation in Lithuanian 37
- Argument marking in Baltic and Slavonic pain-verb constructions 83
- Variable argument realization in Lithuanian impersonals 107
- The nominative case in Baltic in a typological perspective 137
- Differential Argument Marking with the Latvian debitive 199
- Contexts for the choice of genitive vs. instrumental in contemporary Lithuanian 259
- The directive/locative alternation in Lithuanian and elsewhere 333
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Extending argument structure
- Verbal prefixation and argument structure in Lithuanian 363
- Resultative secondary predicates in the Baltic languages 403
- On periphrastic causative constructions in Lithuanian and Latvian 427
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Nominalizations and their arugument structure
- Argument realization in Latvian action nominal constructions 461
- Lithuanian nominalizations and the case marking of their arguments 523
- Language index 551
- Name index 553
- Subject index 555
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Introduction 1
-
Case marking and case alternations
- Long-distance Genitive of Negation in Lithuanian 37
- Argument marking in Baltic and Slavonic pain-verb constructions 83
- Variable argument realization in Lithuanian impersonals 107
- The nominative case in Baltic in a typological perspective 137
- Differential Argument Marking with the Latvian debitive 199
- Contexts for the choice of genitive vs. instrumental in contemporary Lithuanian 259
- The directive/locative alternation in Lithuanian and elsewhere 333
-
Extending argument structure
- Verbal prefixation and argument structure in Lithuanian 363
- Resultative secondary predicates in the Baltic languages 403
- On periphrastic causative constructions in Lithuanian and Latvian 427
-
Nominalizations and their arugument structure
- Argument realization in Latvian action nominal constructions 461
- Lithuanian nominalizations and the case marking of their arguments 523
- Language index 551
- Name index 553
- Subject index 555
