Abstract
In this paper, we intend to describe and discuss the grammatical status of the V1-V2 (Cy/vy) constructions found in Mbya Guarani which can express simultaneous events, among other meanings, and which involve a single clause. We suggest here that this verbal complex can be treated as a case of asymmetrical verbal serialization because it contains verbs from a major lexical class, occupying the V1 slot, followed by a more restricted intransitive verbal class, such as movement, postural, or stative verbs, which stands in the V2 position. The curious property of these constructions is that V2 can be transitivized through the attachment of applicative or causative morphemes and “share” its object with transitive V1. “Object sharing” is another property attributed to serialization, as suggested by Baker and Baker and Stewart, which may be seen as a strong argument in favor of the present hypothesis. We will also provide evidence to distinguish Mbya Guarani V1-V2 (Cy/vy) complex from other constructions, such as temporal and purpose subordinate clauses, involving the particle vy.
Highlights
The aim of this paper is to describe and discuss the grammatical status of the widespread V1-V2 (Cy/vy) construction, employed by Mbya Guarani native speakers to express one single event
Mbya Guarani SVCs fit Aikhenvald’s definition of asymmetrical serialization in that they involve more than one verb, where V1 belongs to an open class, while V2 belong to a closed restricted set, they are mono-clausal, and they share just one TAM and negative marker
We show that the transitivity restriction found between V1 and V2 reinforces Baker (1989)’s and Baker and Stewart’s (
Summary
The aim of this paper is to describe and discuss the grammatical status of the widespread V1-V2 (Cy/vy) construction, employed by Mbya Guarani native speakers to express one single event. Based on Aikhenvald’s typology for verbal serialization (Aikhenvald 2006), we, following Vieira (2017), reinforce the idea that Mbya Guarani has asymmetrical serial verb constructions in which object sharing can occur between V1 and V2. This latter property is, according to Baker (1989) and Baker and Stewart’s diagnosis (Baker and Stewart 1999, 2002), an essential characteristic of Serial Verb Constructions (hereafter SVCs). This paper is organized as follows: Section 2 provides a brief summary of the main features which identify SVCs in the world languages; Sections 3 and 4 present some phonological, morphological, and syntactic aspects of Mbya Guarani, relevant for the understanding of the data under discussion; Section 5 reviews some of the Tupi-Guarani literature on verbal complexes; and Section 6 discusses the analysis assumed here
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