Syntactic Valency Research Articles

Формы реализации пропозиционального аргумента в русских предложениях с ментальными глаголами: „соблюдение”, „компрессия”, „расщепление”

The subject of the article is the mental verbs (verbs of knowledge, understanding and thinking) of the modern Russian language, treated in terms of syntactic valence. The author examines the grammatical forms of the realization of propositional argument in sentences with mental verbs with the predicate-argument structure P (x, q). The forms of representation of propositional argument are divided into three types: observance, compression and splitting. The author shows that in this area we have to deal with an analog reflection of the propositional structure, or more or less a compression of proposition argument, or its dismemberment and doubling of its syntactic position. The author takes into account the regularity of the implementation of each grammatical form, quoting the relevant quantitative data.

ВАЛЕНТНІСТЬ СЛІВ СЕМАНТИКИ СТАНУ В УКРАЇНСЬКІЙ ТА АНГЛІЙСЬКІЙ МОВАХ

The article studies the point of the levels of valency of the words of semantics of state with further comparative analysis of their valency in Ukrainian and English languages. The meaning of categorical valency and lexical compatibility of the words of semantics of state in both languages are being analyzed. The notion of lexical and syntactic valency of the words of semantics of state in Ukrainian and English languages is being determined. Defining the lecxical valency of the word aware, we used data about its syntactic valency and investigated its lexical compatibility. When we considering lexical valency, the lexical filling of syntactic valency models and the lexical filling of the Sub – St Prdv і Sub – StAttr syntactic constructions were traced. The lexical valency of the word булострашно (was scary) and its synonyms is being defined. The word of semantics of state було страшно (was scary) and its synonyms have the following types of syntactic valence: predicative valency (V ↔ StPrd), subjective valency (Obj′→ StPrd), object valency (St Prd/Attr/Com → Obj). The method of determing the lexical, syntactic, categorical valency of the words of semantics of state in Ukrainian language is the same as in the English language. To establish the categorial valency of the words of semantics of state, the words that belong to the main part-language digits of the words of semantics of state were analized, on the basis of which the words of semantics of state in the English language were formed: it is dangerous, it is comfortable, asleeр, afraid. The syntactic valency of the word of semantics of state aware and the units with which it is connected were considered from the point of view of connectivity of the word awarein the language, and the syntactic valency of the word of semantics of stateбуло страшно (was scary) and its synonyms and words with which it comes into contact was also figured out.

Sufijos de transitividad en la lengua yaqui: un estudio de interfaz entre la morfología y la sintaxis

En este artículo se hace una aproximación tipológico-descritptiva al fenómeno del cambio de valencia sintáctica como ejemplo de la relación entre morfología y sintaxis observada en lenguas aglutinantes como el yaqui (yutoazteca). En particular se trata de dos casos en que los cambios de valencia aprecen simultáneamente manifestados en la sintaxis (i.e., mediante la alteración del número de argumentos del verbo ) en la morfología (i.e., mediante alteraciones en la sufijación verbal). Se estudia alguna operación entre los argumentos de valencia, como la alternativa causativa, así como operaciones de redución de valencia, como el caso de la incorporación, y se concluye que la morfología verbal es un buen diagnóstico para identificar la valencia de los verbos yaqui.

Selected semitransitive constructions in Algonquian

AbstractThe present paper surveys a number of selected constructions in Algonquian languages that fall between those expressing transitivity and those expressing intransitivity (Hopper & Thompson 1980; Dryer 2007). Socalled passives are mostly agentless and show different kinds of allomorphy in the particular languages. Antipassives are not fully understood yet but seem to be more idiosyncratic than passives, and are not found everywhere in the family. Lastly, systematic mismatches between morphological and syntactic valency (similar to constructions found in Oceanic and other languages) seem to play an important role in the inventory of constructions used to express less than full transitivity in Algonquian.

Funkcije prefîksa w(e)- w poljskih glagolskih tvorjenkah

V članku je prikazana funkcija prefiksa w(e)- v poljskih glagolskih tvorjenkah. V ta namen je bila izvedena semantično-besedotvorno-sintaktična analiza poljskih glagolov s predpono w(e)-. Treba je bilo določiti ozke pomene, ki natančno precizirajo pomen izpeljank, kajti nekateri glagoli izkazujejo svoj pomen šele v sobesedilu, npr. wejsé do pokoju, toda wejsé w bloto, ali wejsé na dach. Predstavljeni so tudi načini tvorbe teh glagolov, njihova skladenjska vezljivost ter pomeni, ki jih vnaša prefiks. Prikazani so formalno-semantični odnosi med motiviranimi glagoli in njihovimi motiviraj očimi podstavami. V analizi je bilo upoštevano: 1. ločevanje semantičnih skupin glede na pomen glagola s prefiksom w(e)- ter prikaz vzorčnega glagola, ki predstavlja dano pomensko skupino; 2. opredelitev procesa derivacije, po kateri so bile tvorjene glagolske tvorjenke; predpona w(e)- kot prefiksalni formant, del razdeljenega formanta oziroma sestavina besednozvezne besedotvorne podstave; 3. prikaz konotacije glagolov s prefiksom w(e)- ter prikaz odvisnosti med besedotvorno zgradbo izpeljank in tipom njegovih Maria Wtorkowska: Funkcje prefiksu w(e)- w polskich formacjah czasownikowych skladenjskih vezi (drugače: z njegovo skladenjsko vezljivostjo ali valenco); 4. predstavitev tipa glagolov s prefiksom w(e)-, npr. pogovorni, splošni, redki, čustveno » zaznamovani glagoli. Semantična analiza poljskih prefiksalnih glagolov je bila ^ izvedena s splošno rabljeno metodo transformacije, npr. wdeptac

Vezljivost poljskih glagolov s predpono w(e)- in slovenskih glagolov s predpono v-

V prispevku je na podlagi pomensko-skladenjskih razčlemb poljskih ter slovenskih glagolskih tvorjenk predstavljena njihova vezljivost in pomen, ki ga vnaša predpona terfunkcije, v katerih nastopa predpona w(e)-, v- v glagolskih tvorjenkah. Ključne besede: glagolske tvorjenke, slovenske glagolske tvorjenke s prefiks om v-, poljske glagolske tvorjenke s prefiks om w(e)-, vezljivost glagolov s prefiksom v- in w(e)-.

Noun Valences, Noun Head and its Satellites

Our work consists on the valence of noun . We will of course remain on Tesnier’s theory of valence, on the form it has nowadays, after uninterrupted developments. For our analysis it is essential the difference between the levels of valences. We will operate with different concepts, such as: semantic valence and syntactic valence. That’s a known phenomenon and described through the grammar of valence. On each occasion it will be operated even with other levels of valence phenomenon, as for example: logic level, pragmatic level, semantic role levels. The existence of nominal valence, especially the valence of certain nominal classes, in terms of opening new places, is now admitted by different authors in the syntax field. It is also admitted that syntactic realization of arguments (complements) is different for nouns and verbs. So, you can’t use in the same form the complements of verbs at the relevant verbal nouns: help her, or help for her. In my general opinion it is known that only nouns deriving from verbs which save in their semantic as a component the idea of verbal process have valences. Similarly, some nous deriving from adjectives have valences. However, not all the nouns derived from verbs or adjectives have valences. Our work will deal with a group of nouns which, even though not verbal or adjectival, have valence. Such are: road (road to Rome), nouns that indicate kinship connection, nouns that indicate human body parts etc. Our paper will describe issues such as: •Noun valence types; •the connection between semantic roles in verbs and verbal nouns; •Syntax-formal realisation of semantic roles of verbal noun DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2012.v2n4p133

The linguistics of weather

This paper is a cross-linguistic investigation of meteorological expressions (such as it is snowing or the wind blows). The paper proposes a three-fold typology of meteorological constructions according to the element primarily responsible for the coding of weather. In the predicate type, a predicate expresses the meteorological event, while an argument has other functions. In the argument type, an argument is responsible for expressing weather, while any eventual predicate is semantically rather vacuous. In the argument-predicate type, finally, both a predicate and an argument are involved. All types include subtypes, depending on the syntactic valency and the parts of speech of the elements involved. Building upon the typology of constructions, a typology of languages is also proposed based on the coding of precipitation and temperature.

Causative Morphemes as Pragmatic Intensifiers

The typical syntactic change brought to a sentence when a causative morpheme is added is an increase in the valence by one unit. However, in many languages some causative morphemes preserve the original syntactic valence and are used in non-causative contexts. In such cases, the semantic primitives of the causative morphemes can be retained and they can evoke some pragmatic effects. In Korean, the non-productive causative suffix -ttuli, which forms a correlative affixal opposition with the anticausative -ci, and the causative verb sikhi-ta 'to force, order', which forms a correlative stem opposition with ha-ta 'to do', are also found in non-causative contexts. These morphemes, whose canonical function is to express causation, are used for some other purposes without increasing the syntactic valence. The common function of these morphemes can be summarized as pragmatic intensifiers. The pragmatic effects of such causative morphemes originate from the semantic primitives of the morphemes, and they can be extended to various, but somewhat congruent, non-causative functions such as agentivization, patient affection, and action intensification, which can be generalized, including the original function of causativization, as results of semantic transitivity increase caused by the causative morphemes.

Syntactic Valence in Role and Reference Grammar

Transitivity has traditionally been equated with the number of syntactic arguments that a verb takes. However, Role and Reference Grammar (RRG) puts forward a new approach that defines transitivity in terms of macro-roles, leaving the notion of syntactic valence aside. It is perhaps for this reason that the notion of syntactic valence has not received sufficient attention in this framework, and, consequently, some inconsistencies have been identified in its definition. To mention only a few, there is no proper definition of the criteria that determine the notion of syntactic valence, and many of the grammatical processes that have some impact on it – the use of the passive voice and imperatives, the presence of argument-adjuncts, or the position of the arguments in the clause – are overlooked. Hence, in this paper I carry out a critical revision of the definition of syntactic valence and aim to set out some guidelines for a more accurate treatment of this notion within the RRG framework.

Ditransitividad morfológica: tipología y definición de las construcciones aplicativas

Este artículo se centra en el estudio tipológico de las propiedades semánticas y sintácticas de los aplicativos benefactivos. Los aplicativos son afijos verbales que permiten codificar un argumento no subcategorizado por el verbo base como un argumento central del predicado. En este trabajo, pretendo demostrar que la aplicación no implica la transitivización del verbo o el aumento de su valencia, sino una regla de reescritura del Paciente. Con el fin de alcanzar una definición general de la aplicación, distinguiré entre dos tipos de aplicativos: los que modifican la valencia semántica del verbo base, por un lado, y los que tan sólo modifican la valencia sintáctica, por otro. En esta clasificación, seguiré algunas de las propuestas desarrolladas en Van Valin y LaPolla (1997) y Van Valin (2005), tales como los conceptos de transitividad semántica y sintáctica y la jerarquía de selección del Paciente.

Valence sémantique et définition lexicographique

Summary :Achim Stein’s contribution is based on a study of the verb definitions in the Petit Robert referring to object classes, and analyses how selectional restrictions are dealt with in lexicography. An in-depth investigation on the object class « sentiment » reveals that the dictionary encodes syntactic valency in an inherently consistent way which is, however, not transparent from the user’s point of view. In this context, the author also discusses the role of other information types (analogic references, examples, etc.) and the possible input of other semantic resources (Wordnet).

Group adjectives

AbstractThis paper attempts a comparative syntactic study of group adjectives in Danish, English and Modern Greek. The central problem with group adjectives is to account for the contrast between their seemingly argumental behaviour and their inability to introduce new referents into the discourse. We propose a novel analysis whereby group adjectives form a weakly lexical structure with their head noun and modify the first argument of the argument structure of the head noun while the argument itself remains unexpressed. If this analysis is right, it lends support to the representation of argument structure as a level which is simultaneously distinct from the representation of syntactic valency and participates in valency saturation phenomena. The framework is that of Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG).

Yukatekische lokale Relatoren in typologischer Perspektive

Local relators such as the English prepositions to and through combine two meaning components: They designate both a certain spatial region of the reference object (in the examples, the proximity and the interior, respectively) and a certain local relation to it (here orientation towards the reference object and past its axis, respectively). In the Mayan language of Yucatan, prepositions designate exclusively spatial regions. The local relation, instead, is implied in the semantic and syntactic valency of the governing verb. This entails considerable differences in the structure of localizing expressions. A universal conceptual framework is developed within which such differences may be described; a typology of alternative techniques for its linguistic manifestation is sketched; and the Yucatec technique is assigned a place in this typology.

On focus inversion: syntactic valence and the role of a SUBCAT list

On focus inversion: syntactic valence and the role of a SUBCAT list

Валентнocть существительных со значением “совокyпность множества” в современном английском языке

The aim of the present article is to investigate valency of nouns with the meaning of integral multitude in present-day English (assemblage, batch, collection, etc.). It is suggested that notion of valency refers to two levels of linguistic analysis. We should thus speak of syntactic valency and semantic valency. It is shown that semantic valency of nouns with the meaning of integral multitude depends on the degree of concreteness of their meaning. For certain nouns with more abstract meaning semantic valency is obligatory.

Syntactic valency and contextual specialization: the case of -shika in Swahili

In Johnson's Standard Swahili-English dictionary (1939) the meaning of the verb-Shika is described as follows:hold fast, take hold of, keep hold on, seize, grasp, keep. A common word with a wide range of application, e.g. (1) get hold on, press hard on, be on the mind, put in difficulties; (2) keep a hold on, persevere in; (3) hold to, keep to, observe, remember, attend to, obey; (4) determine, resolve, make up the mind to; (5) also as Intrans. have a hold, prevail, be urgent.

Linguistic Expression of the Obligatory Semantic Valencies of the Lithuanian Adjective

On the semantic level it has been established that in Modern Lithuanian there are about 70 bivalent adjectives which possess two obligatory semantic actants – the possessor of the property and the complement. On the surface level both actants must have some kind of explicit or implicit expression, otherwise the meaning of the adjective is not fully realized. The paper describes various ways in which the complementary actant of the Lithuanian adjective can be signalled on the surface level, and draws several conclusions concerning the relationship between semantic and syntactic valency.Although each adjective has its own selection of the peculiar ways in which its complementary actant may be expressed, all the bivalent adjectives can have their complementary actant expressed by a word form or a phrase directly dependent on the adjective. Such word forms are called syntactic actants. If this is the only way in which the complementary actant of an adjective can be expressed, the syntactic valency of the adjective is obligatory. If the syntactic actant of an adjective is only one of the several possible ways of expressing the complementary actant, the syntactic valency of the adjective is optional.