Possessor Role of Accusative-markedInanimate Goal

Abstract

Given that the double object construction in English bears a possessive interpretation, Jung & Miyagawa (2004) treat the accusative Goal construction as the double object construction, which can be interpreted as the animate accusative-marked Goal with a possessor interpretation. However, the so-called causative verb cwu and benefactive suffix (a/e) cwu constructions, permitting the ACC-ACC order, induce the dative/accusative-marked inanimate Goal to play a possessor role. The purpose of this paper was twofold: 1) to show that while both the dative case particle eykey and its inanimate variant ey are inherent case, the accusative case particle lul attached to the Goal is structural case, and 2) to argue that the inanimate Goal in the causative cwu-constructions and the benefactive suffix (a/e) cwu-constructions bears ownership, which is verified by the consequent event or event cancellation. Whereas the inanimate Goal in the causative cwu-constructions bears caused ownership, the inanimate Goal in the benefactive suffix (a/e) cwu-constructions inherits ownership from the giver. Only the accusative-marked Goals, but not the dative-marked Goals, bear specificity.