Summary and Summary and Discussion:Discussion:

Intertheoretical Approaches to Intertheoretical Approaches to Complex Verb ConstructionsComplex Verb Constructions

C. Bowern, 18th March 2006.

AbbreviationsAbbreviations

SVC = Serial Verb ConstructionSVC = Serial Verb Construction LVC = Light Verb ConstructionLVC = Light Verb Construction (Won’t be talking about the other types)(Won’t be talking about the other types)

Issues (= Recurring Themes)Issues (= Recurring Themes)

FinitenessFiniteness LexicalityLexicality Sources of SVCs and LVCs, and what Sources of SVCs and LVCs, and what

they turn intothey turn into ContinuaContinua

Back to the definitionBack to the definition

Complex Predicates have the properties of a Complex Predicates have the properties of a single predicational head spread over several single predicational head spread over several items in the predicate.items in the predicate. overlapping arg structureoverlapping arg structure single event describedsingle event described monoclausal (monopredicational? ie a single complex monoclausal (monopredicational? ie a single complex

predicate, or a set of predicates in a single clause?)predicate, or a set of predicates in a single clause?) Challenge to the unity of the ‘word’ as an atom Challenge to the unity of the ‘word’ as an atom

of syntax (cf. Woodbury 2003).of syntax (cf. Woodbury 2003). HoweverHowever, not all definitions invoked this – some , not all definitions invoked this – some

relied on monoclausality.relied on monoclausality.

Aside: Does Bardi have Aside: Does Bardi have Serialization under this definition?Serialization under this definition?

LVCs (head extensively)LVCs (head extensively) Australian Serialisation (not common)Australian Serialisation (not common)

Pilbara (“Crow is Pilbara (“Crow is sitting chasing sitting chasing them” – Peter them” – Peter Austin)Austin)

Arnhem Land – e.g. Yan-nhangu Arnhem Land – e.g. Yan-nhangu binmunubinmunu ‘do ‘do thus’, thus’, garama garama ‘go’, ‘go’, gabatthungabatthun ‘run’ and a few ‘run’ and a few others.others.

Bardi (??)Bardi (??)

Bardi serialization?Bardi serialization?

Multiple verbs under a single intonation Multiple verbs under a single intonation contourcontour

No conjunctions or other markers of No conjunctions or other markers of subordination (although these also exist)subordination (although these also exist)

Argument sharing.Argument sharing. (But not conventionalised? Only (But not conventionalised? Only narrativenarrative

use)use)

(Similar difficulty in identifying LVCs in (Similar difficulty in identifying LVCs in some languages) – e.g. just because some languages) – e.g. just because something is preverbal, doesn’t mean it’s a something is preverbal, doesn’t mean it’s a preverbpreverb

Any solution apart from more native Any solution apart from more native speaker linguists? (these are problems speaker linguists? (these are problems that linguists with nonnative fluency that linguists with nonnative fluency probably can’t solve)probably can’t solve)

FinitenessFiniteness

= Inflected for person= Inflected for person = Inflected for tense/aspect= Inflected for tense/aspect (gradient feature)(gradient feature)

Therefore, SVCs are mostly symmetric, Therefore, SVCs are mostly symmetric, LVCs never (?) are – but cf Thepkanjana’s LVCs never (?) are – but cf Thepkanjana’s data – several Thai SVCs appear to have data – several Thai SVCs appear to have similar functions to light verbs. similar functions to light verbs.

Finiteness, cont.Finiteness, cont.

Ambient serialisationAmbient serialisation Still serialisation, but verb not necessarily Still serialisation, but verb not necessarily

marked for tense/aspect.marked for tense/aspect. In process of grammaticalisation of SVCs In process of grammaticalisation of SVCs

into (e.g.) PPs, must lose those features at into (e.g.) PPs, must lose those features at some point.some point.

Loniu and Titan (Admiralty Islands)Loniu and Titan (Admiralty Islands)

deverbal preps agree for tensedeverbal preps agree for tense

Ala Yap ala-me sos, ala-sos Ala Yap ala-me sos, ala-sos i-tii-ti Nauna Nauna

3pl Yapese 3pl.nfut=come meet, 3pl Yapese 3pl.nfut=come meet, 3pl.nfut=meet nfut-’on’ Nauna.3pl.nfut=meet nfut-’on’ Nauna.

‘‘The people from Yap met together on The people from Yap met together on Nauna.’Nauna.’

LexicalityLexicality

more or less lexical? based on citeria ofmore or less lexical? based on citeria of arg structure, arg structure, ‘‘full semantics’ (ie comparable semantics to main verb full semantics’ (ie comparable semantics to main verb

use)use)

lexicality in the sense of the phrase undergoing lexicality in the sense of the phrase undergoing lexical rules (e.g. nominalization - Bodomo)lexical rules (e.g. nominalization - Bodomo) ThaiThai BardiBardi FarsiFarsi

‘‘Lexical’ verb implies ‘listed in the mental Lexical’ verb implies ‘listed in the mental lexicon with its own entry’lexicon with its own entry’

lexical = heavy verb (vs light verb)lexical = heavy verb (vs light verb) but some LVCs ‘lexical’ in that they’re but some LVCs ‘lexical’ in that they’re

formed in the lexicon vs in the syntaxformed in the lexicon vs in the syntax If formed in syntax can’t be formed from If formed in syntax can’t be formed from

full verb w. argument structure changes full verb w. argument structure changes (implies non-monotonic theory)(implies non-monotonic theory)

Therefore, need two verbsTherefore, need two verbs saysayfullfull

saysaylightlight

How different is that from common or How different is that from common or garden polysemy?garden polysemy?

How to tell polysemy from How to tell polysemy from underspecification? [non-rhetorical underspecification? [non-rhetorical question]question]

Diachrony (1): ‘Results’Diachrony (1): ‘Results’

The dead-end idea.The dead-end idea. Classifiers (Gooniyandi – McGregor 1990)Classifiers (Gooniyandi – McGregor 1990) Classifiers (Udi – Harris)Classifiers (Udi – Harris)

Not great even for Indic (Pardeshi and Not great even for Indic (Pardeshi and Hook)Hook)

Non-uniform behaviour synchronically Non-uniform behaviour synchronically (Shibatani for Atayal and Japanese; cf (Shibatani for Atayal and Japanese; cf Bardi)Bardi)

Diachrony (2)Diachrony (2) SourcesSources Other complex preds (cf Butt and Lahiri)Other complex preds (cf Butt and Lahiri) ParataxisParataxis Generalisation of a rather specific construction; Generalisation of a rather specific construction;

e.g. English e.g. English go X go X go eatgo eat come go eatcome go eat went atewent ate ‘‘go suck on a neutron star’/’go bang some rocks go suck on a neutron star’/’go bang some rocks

together four-eyes’ (Zaphod Beeblebrox)together four-eyes’ (Zaphod Beeblebrox) go vituperatego vituperate

Continua, Clines and the likeContinua, Clines and the like What does it mean to say that a particular What does it mean to say that a particular

property is gradient?property is gradient? What should we do about it? What should we do about it?

Identifying a category as gradient isn’t the end of Identifying a category as gradient isn’t the end of the storythe story

A variable can be gradient for many different A variable can be gradient for many different reasons.reasons. Different speakers with different internal grammars Different speakers with different internal grammars

(multiple different discrete grammars)(multiple different discrete grammars) Different but related phenomena which are Different but related phenomena which are

themselves discretethemselves discrete Other factors which interact and give the appearance Other factors which interact and give the appearance

of scalarityof scalarity

SolutionsSolutions Give upGive up Recognize the gradience but recognize too that Recognize the gradience but recognize too that

many aspects of the world are gradient but can many aspects of the world are gradient but can still be modelled discretely.still be modelled discretely. phonemesphonemes taxataxa

Develop scalar modelsDevelop scalar models Be more specific about the scalarity – what Be more specific about the scalarity – what

causes it (cf Shibatani on motion serialisation)causes it (cf Shibatani on motion serialisation) Recognise that it’s a fundamental difference in Recognise that it’s a fundamental difference in

approach to research and the nature of approach to research and the nature of explanation and agree to differexplanation and agree to differ

Areality and borrowabilityAreality and borrowability

Tend to cluster areallyTend to cluster areally

Therefore, easily borrowed? (e.g. Therefore, easily borrowed? (e.g. Schultze-Berndt)Schultze-Berndt)

BUT, what gets borrowed and how does it BUT, what gets borrowed and how does it arise?arise? embeddingembedding coverb borrowingcoverb borrowing coverb + light verb borrowing?coverb + light verb borrowing? calquing? code-switching?calquing? code-switching?

i.e. is this lexical borrowing, or syntactic i.e. is this lexical borrowing, or syntactic borrowing, or neither?borrowing, or neither?

E.g. North AustraliaE.g. North Australia

Rather different underlying organisation, e.g. in Rather different underlying organisation, e.g. in Northern AustraliaNorthern Australia

(Most of the differences in N. Aus. fall out from (Most of the differences in N. Aus. fall out from how ‘eventive’ the coverb is – that is, how well how ‘eventive’ the coverb is – that is, how well it’s able to act as a full predicate on its own and it’s able to act as a full predicate on its own and what licenses the coverb as a predicate)what licenses the coverb as a predicate)

Bardi coverbs can’t appear without a light verb – Bardi coverbs can’t appear without a light verb – not fully lexical themselves? Can’t license the not fully lexical themselves? Can’t license the appearance of all their arguments without appearance of all their arguments without another part of the predicate?another part of the predicate?

SimilaritiesSimilarities

SemanticsSemantics function of marking event perspectivesfunction of marking event perspectives

Differences b/w LVCs and SVCsDifferences b/w LVCs and SVCs

SourcesSources GivGivón: LVCs (e.g. Wagiman) typically arise ón: LVCs (e.g. Wagiman) typically arise

through embedding (especially where there is through embedding (especially where there is asymmetric finiteness)asymmetric finiteness)

Argument sharing propertiesArgument sharing properties (not discussed, but different)(not discussed, but different)

Narrative light verbs?Narrative light verbs? ( (NO?)NO?) LVCs aren’t usually (ever?) event chainsLVCs aren’t usually (ever?) event chains

Event chainsEvent chains

Wagiman:Wagiman:ngi-ya-nggi woerrkge-ma maman // garatjjin ngi-ya-nggi woerrkge-ma maman // garatjjin dorroh-dorrohdorroh-dorroh // // denh-nadenh-na wirin. wirin.

1pl.go-past work well // grass pull // cut tree.1pl.go-past work well // grass pull // cut tree.

We worked well, pulling out grass, cutting trees.We worked well, pulling out grass, cutting trees. Bardi:Bardi:

cf ‘serialisation’ above – NEVER coverb cf ‘serialisation’ above – NEVER coverb chaining.chaining.

Some things we didn’t talk about (much)Some things we didn’t talk about (much)

HeadednessHeadedness Argument sharingArgument sharing Valency and valency determinatesValency and valency determinates

Slave, Koyukon, Warlpiri – Valency is straightforwardSlave, Koyukon, Warlpiri – Valency is straightforward Bardi – valency is messyBardi – valency is messy Semantic roles can arise through the constructionSemantic roles can arise through the construction

Relationship between grammaticalization and Relationship between grammaticalization and frequency – and between stability and changefrequency – and between stability and change

Butt and Lahiri – LVCs are stable once they Butt and Lahiri – LVCs are stable once they arise. BUT LVCs aren’t uniform in many arise. BUT LVCs aren’t uniform in many languages.languages.

Where to?Where to?

Have to look atHave to look at cognitive underpinnings – cognitive versus cognitive underpinnings – cognitive versus

grammatical definitionsgrammatical definitions processing issuesprocessing issues

Social/Interactive issue – information Social/Interactive issue – information gain?gain?

the universals versus the language/culture the universals versus the language/culture specific itemsspecific items

Concetration on variation makes Concetration on variation makes identification of universals difficultidentification of universals difficult

OT/LFGOT/LFG The nature of explanationThe nature of explanation