The Missing Dative Alternation in Romance: Explaining Stability and Change in the Argument Structure of Latin Ditransitives

Abstract

AbstractThis study explores the correlation between synchronic constructional variation shown by ditransitive verbs in Late Latin and (possible) diachronic developments, investigating the reasons why such developments did or did not occur throughout the history of this language. Starting from a comparison with the rise of the so‐called ‘dative alternation’ in English, which emerged from a scenario that, apparently, was similar to the one found in Late Latin, we address the question as to why in the diachrony of this language such a linguistic phenomenon did not develop at all for some verbs and did not become productive for others – what we may call the ‘missing dative alternation’ in Romance. Drawing on a corpus‐based study of six verbs instantiating different types of ditransitive constructions since Early Latin, we show that each form has its own history, attesting to different instances of stability and/or change in its argument structure. We will also argue that when individual histories of single forms eventually converge on the same result, as happened in Romance, a comprehensive explanation is also needed. This study suggests such an explanation by shedding light on different functional motivations that triggered specific pathways of change and disfavoured other possible developments.