Chapter Two. The Morphosyntax Of Salish Applicatives

Abstract

A relational applicative construction adds a second argument to a clause whose non-applicative counterpart is intransitive. The resulting construction is a syntactically transitive clause in which a non-theme nominal is the direct object. Applied objects in relational applicatives are generally not semantic arguments of the predicate but rather have an indirect relationship to the event. This chapter provides a catalog of relational applicative constructions in Salish and discusses their similarities and differences across languages. It classifies the various meanings conveyed by relational applicatives according to the semantics of the predicate, with reference to the semantic role of the applied objects. The chapter surveys the Salish relational applicatives language by language, exemplifying the form and function of the various relational constructions. It discusses the distribution and usage of each relational suffix, and constructs a comparative-historical picture of the Salish relational applicative system. Keywords:relational applicatives; relational suffix; Salish