The Effect of ‘Heavy’ Recipient on the Ditransitive Constructions in Five Languages

Abstract

The study of ditransitive constructions often focuses on factors that influence their encoding, with the "end-weight" principle playing a key role in organizing informational structure. "End-weight" refers to "a tendency to reserve the final position for the more complex parts of a clause or sentence". This study delves into the effects of the recipient’s heavy weight on the encoding of ditransitive patterns in five languages, aiming to uncover both similarities and differences. Our findings indicate that the recipient’s heavy weight significantly influences the encoding of ditransitive patterns in Mandarin and English. In contrast, Cantonese, Japanese, and German consistently maintain their canonical patterns regardless of the recipient’s heavy weight, running counter to the end-weight principle. These insights significantly enhance our typological understanding of ditransitive constructions. Future research should focus on empirical and theoretical exploration to elucidate the motivations behind these linguistic differences.