Abstract
AbstractThe argument structure of verbs is pretty uniform across languages. Thus, verbs of `falling’ involve a Theme and an optional Causer and verbs of `working’ an Agent. Aspect is relevant to that uniformity as well since the former verbs will be telic and the latter durative. Stative verbs form a third main class. I first show that, when (spoken/written) languages change, the basic argument structure and aspect don’t change for most unaccusatives and unergatives. There are, however, systematic reports (e.g. Rosen 1984; Keller & Sorace 2003; Randall et al 2004) that certain verbs are unergative in one language and unaccusative in another and that verbs alternate between different aspects (e.g. Levin & Rappaport Hovav 2014). I examine a few verbs diachronically that are ambiguous in the Keller & Sorace work, i.e. verbs of continuation and of controlled motional process, and conclude that a more fine-grained system is helpful.
Highlights
Fillmore (1970), Vendler (1976), Levin & Rappaport Hovav (1995), and numerous others divide the Aktionsart of verbs into different kinds
There are, systematic reports (e.g. Rosen 1984; Keller & Sorace 2003; Randall et al 2004) that certain verbs are unergative in one language and unaccusative in another and that verbs alternate between different aspects (e.g. Levin & Rappaport Hovav 2014)
Argument structure and aspect remain fairly stable in language change, as I have argued in van Gelderen (2018)
Summary
Fillmore (1970), Vendler (1976), Levin & Rappaport Hovav (1995), and numerous others divide the Aktionsart of verbs into different kinds. Verbs are divided into three main aspectual types, manner (durative aspect), result (telic aspect), and state (stative aspect) and these aspects determine the theta-roles Unergative verbs, such as work and play, are durative and their basic theta roles are an Agent; unaccusatives, such as arrive and fall, are telic and their basic theta roles are a Theme and an optional Causer may render them causative. The sources used in these corpora and dictionaries will not be cited in the references
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