Verbal Adjectives Research Articles

Possessive-like Attribute Constructions in the Oceanic Languages of Northwest Melanesia

In many Oceanic languages in northwest Melanesia the default attribute construction ('a big house') is one whose morphosyntax looks like that of a possession construction: the attribute occupies the (possessed) head slot, the noun the (possessor) modifier slot ('a big one of a house'), that is, the opposite of the cross-linguistic norm and a rare phenomenon worldwide. I briefly describe these constructions, which are morphosyntactically varied, then examine their history, proposing that a major factor in their genesis was the presence in Proto-Oceanic of a small class of adjectival nouns whose reflexes in languages scattered across Oceania either may still behave as noun phrase heads or retain features reflecting this earlier status. The adjectival noun class had a small membership but high token frequency, and provided the template for a pattern extension that in a number of northwest Melanesian languages drew in the much larger adjectival verb class. I also address the question of why this change occurred in northwest Melanesia but not elsewhere in Oceania

Verbal Adjectives in Sophocles: Necessity and Morality

IN HIS RECENT BOOK, Shame and Necessity, B. Williams identifies verbal ending in -T?Oq, -T?a, -T0ov as frequent form speech with Sophocles' heroes. This impersonal expression necessity, he says, is just one ways in which these characters express insistence, refusal, defiance, and other intransigent attitudes, which often evoke from others, equally, expressions necessity.1 Williams quotes Ajax 690, '76 yp od ji' cpycacya ( father, what did you say? What are you doing to me? [1203]). He also cites Oedipus' &pKT?ov and &KOua-TcOV (OT 628 and 1170), must rule and must hear, and comments, There are many other examples.2 Some these were noted thirty years ago by B. Knox in The Heroic Temper.3 Knox grouped [t]he use verbal adjective with that of future tenses and above all tone which brooks no argument as characteristic [Sophoclean] hero's resolve to act.4 He quoted not only Ajax 690 but also Ajax 470-72, REIp6 Ttm 4riTflT?a / Totd6' dp' i 7ypoVTt 61Qk6X) RaTpt / P] TOt pUcyV 7 `Y7Rka7XvO ?K KEtVOu 7E769 (Some enterprise must be sought which will show my aged father I am no cowardly son) and Ajax 853, a'& &pKKTOV T6 tp&yta abV TdXEt TtVi (I must begin work, and fast), as well as OT 628 and 1170 and Electra 1019-20, ad)k aU'T6oXtpi pot p6V TE 6paYT?ov / TOUp7oV T66' (I must do this deed alone and with my own hand). Knox did no more than note heroes' use verbal adjective, but Williams makes this same observation point departure for an analysis kind necessity they are expressing through this construction. He argues convincingly that it is not a matter a Kantian categorical imperative, involving the 'must' duty, nor Kant's hypothetical imperative,

Proto-Oceanic Adjectival Categories and Their Morphosyntax

Probably all languages have at least one adjectival category, that is, a word class whose typical function is attribution, but, as Dixon (I977) has shown, languages vary considerably in the ways in which this category is related to other categories (especially nouns and verbs) and in the number of adjectival categories that the language possesses. In this paper, I present a typology of the morphosyntactic behavior of Oceanic languages with regard to adjectival categories, showing that there is considerable cross-linguistic variation among them. I then ask how one can reconstruct the behavior of Proto-Oceanic from such varying data and propose a reconstruction of Proto-Oceanic adjectival categories. This entails two adjectival categories, one a small closed category whose members were somewhat nounlike, the other a much larger category of adjectival verbs that served both as modifiers of nouns and as stative verbs.

An Introduction to the Celtic Languages

Part 1 The historical background to the Celtic languages: Celtic as an Indo-European language continental Celtic insular Celtic the distinctive features of Celtic languages the distinctive features of Goidelic and Brittonic the inter-relationship of the Celtic languages the Italo-Celtic hypothesis. Part 2 The Goidelic languages: the sources general features Scottish Gaelic and Manx developments. Part 3 Irish: types of Irish phonology the nominal system the verbal system syntax. Part 4 The Brittonic languages: the sources general features of the Brittonic languages the inter-relationship of the neo-Brittonic languages. Part 5 Welsh: types of Welsh phonology the nominal system the verbal system syntax. Part 6 The orthographies of the Celtic languages: orthography and phonology the scripts of continental Celtic the scripts of insular Celtic. Part 7 Lenition and mutations - phonetics, phonology and morphology: the phonological data the grammatical functions of the initial mutations lenition in the consonantal system theories of lenition and spirantization the grammaticalization of the mutations modern mutations and functional load. Part 8 Verbal nouns, verbs and nouns: verbs, nouns and verbal adjectives formal characteristics of verbal nouns syntactical characteristics of verbal nouns verbal noun - verb or noun? verbal nouns and infinitives - the historical background. Part 9 Word order in the Celtic languages: the evidence the historical background.

Agent-Less Indirect Adjectival Verb Forms in Egyptian and Arabic: The Case of JRRW N. F and MAFʿŪL LAHU, "for Whom One Acts"

A striking characteristic of earlier - that is, Old and Middle, and to some extent also Late - Egyptian, as opposed to Demotic and Coptic, is the high incidence of verb forms exhibiting a changeable ending as to gender and number - that is, an adjectival ending - referring to an entity involved in the event expressed by the verb form. In later Egyptian, such forms became entirely obsolete. One type of Egyptian adjectival verb form, the agent-less indirect type, has often been compared, with much controversy, with the Arabic syntagm involving adjectival verb forms called na c t sababi, which is also indirect, but not always agent-less. This paper addresses the issue of the similarity of the Egyptian and Arabic constructions. In this endeavor, it is important to create a basis for comparison by clearly delineating the two phenomena in their respective languages. The two should only be compared in as far as they overlap

Effects of sentence form on the construction of mental plans from procedural discourse.

Memory for procedural discourse was examined in two experiments. In Experiment 1, memory was assessed using recall; in Experiment 2, a recognition test was used. In both experiments, the memorability of three types of action statements were compared: a transitive verb form, in which the action was described by a main clause; a verbal adjective form, in which the action was indicated by an adjective derived from a verb; and an implicit action form, in which the action was only implied. Information associated with transitive verbs and verbal adjectives was more likely to be recalled than information associated with implicit actions. Although a manipulation of prior knowledge affected overall recall performance, it did not interact with sentence form. In addition, recognition accuracy was affected by neither sentence form nor prior knowledge. To account for these results, it was proposed that transitive verbs and verbal adjectives generate a semantic representation that includes features of the action, whereas implicit actions do not. This difference in semantic representation leads to structural differences in a mental plan for the task. The obtained effects on recall reflect these differences in plan structure.

The verbal suffix -guo in Mandarin Chinese and the notion of recurrence

It is generally accepted that the Mandarin Chinese verbal suffix - guo is only permitted with verbs which allow the possibility of recurrence. Yet some adjectival verbs denoting non-recurrent states, like nianqing ‘to be young’, are nevertheless compatible with - guo. It follows that the requirement of recurrence is on the whole too restrictive, since not always necessary. The minimal semantic condition for a verb to be compatible with - guo is not strictly speaking the recurrence, but the possibility to conceive it as a non-empty class of occurences, which is closely connected with the operation of which this aspect marker is the trace. We show in this paper that the Mandarin verbal suffix - guo has aoristic properties. It marks that in a relative past there is at least one occurence of the fact represented by the predicative relationship, that is to say at least one occurrence of such a fact (i.e., this type of fact). This presupposes a class of occurrences endowed with the feature of countability, which ultimately explains the great affinity of - guo with the notion of recurrence. It is also demonstrated that, in order that a non-recurrent state be compatible with - guo, it must be degressive in time. It thus meets the constraint imposed by - guo, that is, the absence of action or state at the reference point.

Adjectives and adjectivialization processes in Edo

Real adjectives are few in Niger-Congo languages. Welmers [1973] warns that we should be suspicious of what is traditionally called adjectives in these languages: In this article, an attempt is made to describe the processes of expressing adjectival concepts in Edo. Like many natural languages, Edo adjectives and verbs are hardly separable; areas of similarity are analyzed. Taking a critical look at some words which have been erroneously called adjectives, we discover that they are in fact relative clauses. An examination of their underlying structures reveals the sources of their singular and plural forms. Finally, we identify some real adjectives (some of which are derived from adjectival verbs) on the basis of their inability to occur alone without "qualifying" nouns.

Syntactic orphans and adoptees: unattached participles. II. Medical misconstructions

“Most of the occasions of disturbance in the world spring from grammar”, wrote Montaigne [ 11. Hyperbole perhaps, but insofar as grammatical infractions garble meaning or mar literary style, they can certainly create problems for the physicianauthor. One of these problems is the unattached participle, as exemplified in sentences cited here from published articles. As a verbal adjective, the participle is grammatically dependent on a noun in the main clause [2]. When the participle has no such grammatical relation, it violates a basic principle of English syntax and, in the process, often distorts the intended sense. Unattached, or dangling, participles mischievously intrude most often at the beginning of a sentence. In that position, they are expected to modify the subject of the principal clause, and when they do not, they are said to dangle. Danglers are caused by a lapse in concentration in the coherent pursuit of a thought from beginning to end of a sentence. The writer begins with one principal or agent in mind but, in midsentence, switches to another. The result is an extraneous grammatical unit:

On Verbal Adjectives in *-ko-

On Verbal Adjectives in *-ko-

THE SO-CALLED PASSIVE VERBAL ADJECTIVE IN MEDIEVAL AND MODERN FRENCH: ACHETER A DENIERS COMPTANTS

Journal Article THE SO-CALLED PASSIVE VERBAL ADJECTIVE IN MEDIEVAL AND MODERN FRENCH: ACHETER A DENIERS COMPTANTS Get access C. W. ASPLAND C. W. ASPLAND MACQUARIE UNIVERSITYN.S.W. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar French Studies, Volume XXIX, Issue 1, January 1975, Pages 1–14, https://doi.org/10.1093/fs/XXIX.1.1 Published: 01 January 1975

The So-called passive verbal adjective in medieval and modern French: acheter a deniers comptants

Journal Article THE SO-CALLED PASSIVE VERBAL ADJECTIVE IN MEDIEVAL AND MODERN FRENCH: ACHETER A DENIERS COMPTANTS Get access C. W. ASPLAND C. W. ASPLAND MACQUARIE UNIVERSITYN.S.W. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar French Studies, Volume XXIX, Issue 1, January 1975, Pages 1–14, https://doi.org/10.1093/fs/XXIX.1.1 Published: 01 January 1975

Verbal Nouns and Adjectives in Some Ancient Languages

1 For convenience, I follow the practice of most scholars by including Hittite among the Indo-European languages and terming the Ursprache Indo-European rather than IndoHittite, although I am inclined to agree with Sturtevant that there is good reason not to do so. For the most recently published statements on this question, see the reprint of Sturtevant's earlier statement, Lg. 38.105-10, and Lane, Lg. 37.472, as well as Goetze apud Lane, ibid. fn. 12a. At all events the problem is irrelevant for the purposes of this paper. 2 These articles, to which the reader of the present one is referred for fuller discussions, with more numerous examples and more complete documentation, are as follows. In TAPA: 'Voice of non-finite verb forms in Latin and English', 74.269-306 (1943); 'Vestiges of partitive apposition in Latin syntax', 84.92-123 (1953); 'Partitive apposition in Homer and the Greek accusative', 85.197-289 (1954). In Lg.: 'Some Hittite-Sanskrit parallels: Part II. Double dative: Infinitive plus dative noun', 29.246-51 (1953). In Proceedings of the Ninth International Congress of Linguists (Cambridge, Mass., 1962); 'Partitive apposition', 784-94. The last two articles are hereafter designated as Lg. 29 and Cong. respectively; references to volume number (74, 84, or 85), with or without following page number or numbers, are to the articles in TAPA. Other bibliographical data are to be interpreted as follows. AJP = American journal of philology. Bechtel = George Bechtel, Hittite verbs in -sk(Ann Arbor, 1936). Benfey = Theodor Benfey, Handbuch der Sanskritsprache, 2 vols. (Leipzig, 1852-4). Brugmann = Karl Brugmann, Grundriss der vergleichenden Grammatik der indogermanischen Sprachen2 1-2, 2 vols. (Strassburg, 1897-1916). Buck = Carl Darling Buck, Comparative grammar of Greek and Latin, 4th impression (Chicago, 1948). Buck, OU = Carl Darling Buck, A grammar of Oscan and Umbrian (Boston, 1904). Clark = M. Tulli Ciceronis orationes, Philippicae I-XIV, ed. by Albertus Curtis Clark (Oxford, no date, preface dated 1900). CP = Classical philology. Delbriick = B. Delbriick, Grundriss der vergleichenden Grammatik der indogermanischen Sprachen vols. 3-5, (Strassburg, 1893-1900). Ellis = Robinson Ellis, A commentary on Catullus2 (Oxford, 1889). Ernout and Thomas = Alfred Ernout and Frangois Thomas, Syntaxe latine (Paris, 1951). Friedrich (or Friedrich, El.) = Johannes Friedrich, Hethitisches Elementarbuch, 1st part (Heidelberg, 1940). Friedrich, Vert. = Johannes Friedrich, Staatsvertrige des Hatti-Reiches in hethitischer Sprache, 2 parts (Leipzig, 1926-30). Goodwin = William W. Goodwin, A Greek grammar, revised edition (Boston, 1895). Goetze, Hatt. = Albrecht Goetze, Hattusilis (Leipzig, 1925). Goetze, Madd. = Albrecht Goetze, Madduwattas (Leipzig, 1928). Goetze, NBr. = Albrecht Goetze, Neue Bruchsticke zum grossen Text des Hattusilis und den Paralleltexten (Leipzig, 1930). Grandgent = C. H. Grandgent, An introduction to Vulgar Latin (Boston, 1907). Hofmann = Manu Leumann and Joh. Bapt. Hofmann, Stolz-Schmalz Lateinische Grammatik6 (Munich, 1928). JCS = Journal of cuneiform studies. Kent = Roland G. Kent, Old Persian (New Haven, 1950). Merrill = T. Lucreti Cari de rerum natura, ed. by William Augustus Merrill (New York, 1907). Morris = The Captives and Trinummus of Plautus, ed. by E. P. Morris (Boston, 1899). Mueller = M. Tulli Ciceronis scripta quae manserunt omnia, ed. by C. F. W. Mueller, 4 parts, 10 vols. (Leipzig, 1889-98). Munro = T. Lucreti Cari de rerum natura4, ed. by H. A. J. Munro, 3 vols. (Cambridge, 1886). Ose = Fritz Ose, Supinum und Infinitiv im

Indo-European Negative Composition

The functional history of the IE negative prefix, the variants of which we conveniently designate by their central form *n-, is an integral part of the history of IE composition. A classification of IE compounds, based on historical rather than logical considerations, would include (1) old types, generally declining during the historical period of IE-bahuvrihis and synthetic compounds (verbale Rektionskomposita), and (2) distinctly younger types-pronominal hypostatics, determinatives, and copulatives. The earliest types available to us in which *nappears are bahuvrihis and (synthetic) verbal adjectives.' A thorough analysis of these types is therefore essential for an adequate comprehension of the nature of *n-. The bahuvrihi type has been variously explained. Whereas in earlier times a mechanical consideration of its semantic contents led to the assumption that it represents a secondary development from the determinatives with added possessive value and conversion to adjectives (e.g. Brugmann, KZ 24.40), more modern theories2 have made unquestionably clear the primitive and primary nature of the type. In the most primitive forms of IE-Vedic, Gathic, Homeric Greek, Gothic-the bahuvrihis are found in their greatest expansion, whereas the tatpurusa type is rare and still largely expressed by uncompounded elements; its gradual extension can be followed in the later stages of the languages.' The synthetic compounds4 form, together with the bahuvrihis, the oldest layer, and seem to have been the most common primitive type. A survey by Risch (IF 59.5) of the Greek material, which has a recognized conservative character, shows that about 60% of all compounds come under the heading of synthetics, 25-30% are bahuvrihis, and the rest are mainly hypostatics, determinatives, and occasional copulatives. The synthetic type comprises variants with the verbal element second (Gk. &Sv, Skt. ayuj, Lat. coniux) and with the verbal element first (Gk. AXKEXLTWV, CXKE-OTleXhos, Skt. viddd-vasu).5 This classification has only lately been recognized. The whole &Svu type was classed with the tatpurusas by the Sanskrit grammarians, which is logically acceptable but historically impossible.

Notes on the Statical and some other Participles in Hindustani

(a) (1) Considerable confusion exists as regards the Statical Participles.On page 174 of his Grammar, Platts states: “ Rem. The so-called Staticals differ from Conthraatives in denoting temporary or accidental state. The two forms are clearly distinguished in most native grammars, but are strangely misunderstood by European grammarians, who teach that the participle is inflected in Staticals and not inflected in Continuatives! Now, the fact is that it is just to indicate duration or continuity (and occasionally a habitual state) that the particle (sic) or verbal adjective is changed into an adverb and inflected. This is evident from such forms as chalte chalte thak gayā, ‘ I wearied through much or continued walking …,’ ”

The Appositive Participle in Anglo-Saxon

The twofold nature of the participle is sufficiently attested by the fact that it is universally defined as a verbal adjective. The genesis of this twofold nature has been interestingly discussed by Brugmann (I. F., v 88 ff.; Gr. Gr. §§ 479 f.) and by Delbrück (II, p. 477). Mine is the humbler task of pointing out the various manifestations of this dual nature as exemplified in the appositive use of the participle in Anglo-Saxon; to which is appended a brief survey of the same phenomena in the other Germanic languages. This is by no means an easy task, since the same participle may be dominantly adjectival in one sentence, prevailingly verbal in another, and equally divided between the two in a third. Of course, too, a participle may be used as a noun; but in such case it ceases to be a participle; hence in this paper no account is taken of the substantivized participle. However, certain adverbial uses of the participle are treated.

The verbal adjective in -ing

The verbal adjective in -ing Get access W. H. Husk W. H. Husk Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Notes and Queries, Volume s6-VI, Issue 136, 5 August 1882, Page 118, https://doi.org/10.1093/nq/s6-VI.136.118b Published: 05 August 1882

The verbal adjective in -in

The verbal adjective in -in

The verbal adjective in -ing

The verbal adjective in -ing