Agreement in conjunct verb construction: let’s solve the problem
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Pradeep Kumar Das
Abstract
The present paper re-examines the puzzling agreement patterns of the phenomenon known as conjunct verb construction in Hindi-Urdu. Conjunct verbs consisted of a noun and a light verb have been the most challenging for their agreement patterns and remained a puzzle ever since it was first discussed by Bahl (1974: 24). The present study draws some ideas from Chomsky (1981 and 1993), mainly the distribution of structural cases and combines it with the intrinsic properties of the verbal and nominal elements and comes up with the solution that there must be some mechanism to account for the dispersal of structural-cases which may be available canonically with the verbal elements (Comrie 1981). In doing so, the nominal host of the light verb sometimes behaves as an integral part of the verb when it does not show any agreement with the light verb. However, in other instances, this nominal host acts as one of the arguments and shows the agreement with the light verb. The present research paper is an attempt to analyze the puzzling agreement patterns of conjunction verb construction and presents a tangible solution to the unsolved problem of agreement patterns in conjunct verb construction in Hindi-Urdu.
Abstract
The present paper re-examines the puzzling agreement patterns of the phenomenon known as conjunct verb construction in Hindi-Urdu. Conjunct verbs consisted of a noun and a light verb have been the most challenging for their agreement patterns and remained a puzzle ever since it was first discussed by Bahl (1974: 24). The present study draws some ideas from Chomsky (1981 and 1993), mainly the distribution of structural cases and combines it with the intrinsic properties of the verbal and nominal elements and comes up with the solution that there must be some mechanism to account for the dispersal of structural-cases which may be available canonically with the verbal elements (Comrie 1981). In doing so, the nominal host of the light verb sometimes behaves as an integral part of the verb when it does not show any agreement with the light verb. However, in other instances, this nominal host acts as one of the arguments and shows the agreement with the light verb. The present research paper is an attempt to analyze the puzzling agreement patterns of conjunction verb construction and presents a tangible solution to the unsolved problem of agreement patterns in conjunct verb construction in Hindi-Urdu.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface VII
- Contents IX
- Acknowledgements XI
- Transliteration XIII
- (In)definiteness without articles: diagnosis, analysis, implications 1
- Differential comparatives in Hindi-Urdu 27
- The structure of complex predicates in Hindi-Urdu: evidence from verb-phrase ellipsis 47
- Case licensing in Hindi prenominal relative clauses 85
- Constraints on attributive functions of Hindi perfect participles manifesting the resultant state 107
- On the nature of the Hindi infinitive: History as an answer to its syntactic behavior? 115
- Main verb form in structures of ability/possibility in Hindi 147
- Agreement in conjunct verb construction: let’s solve the problem 187
- Conjunct verbs in Hindi 217
- Impersonal expressions in Hindi-Urdu and phantom valents in Kashmiri 245
- An attempt to understand the encoding of reduced transitivity in Hindi: the case of compound verbs with jānā 265
- Syntactic constraints in modern Hindi 287
- A pragmatic account of directive strategies in Hindi 303
- Discovering the Hindi grammatical tradition: Historicity and second language acquisition 333
- List of contributors 355
- Index 359
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface VII
- Contents IX
- Acknowledgements XI
- Transliteration XIII
- (In)definiteness without articles: diagnosis, analysis, implications 1
- Differential comparatives in Hindi-Urdu 27
- The structure of complex predicates in Hindi-Urdu: evidence from verb-phrase ellipsis 47
- Case licensing in Hindi prenominal relative clauses 85
- Constraints on attributive functions of Hindi perfect participles manifesting the resultant state 107
- On the nature of the Hindi infinitive: History as an answer to its syntactic behavior? 115
- Main verb form in structures of ability/possibility in Hindi 147
- Agreement in conjunct verb construction: let’s solve the problem 187
- Conjunct verbs in Hindi 217
- Impersonal expressions in Hindi-Urdu and phantom valents in Kashmiri 245
- An attempt to understand the encoding of reduced transitivity in Hindi: the case of compound verbs with jānā 265
- Syntactic constraints in modern Hindi 287
- A pragmatic account of directive strategies in Hindi 303
- Discovering the Hindi grammatical tradition: Historicity and second language acquisition 333
- List of contributors 355
- Index 359
