Impersonal Constructions: A Cross-Linguistic Perspective

Impersonal Constructions......Page 2
Editorial page......Page 3
Title page......Page 4
LCC data......Page 5
Table of contents......Page 6
List of contributors......Page 8
2. Some conceptual considerations......Page 12
3. Contributions to this volume......Page 16
4. Conclusions......Page 24
References......Page 25
Part I: Impersonal constructions: Typological and theoretical aspects......Page 28
1. Introductory......Page 30
2. Subject prototype......Page 32
3.1 Impersonal constructions with non-referential subjects......Page 35
3.2 Impersonal constructions with indefinite subjects......Page 38
3.3 Impersonal constructions with non-topical subjects......Page 40
3.4 Impersonal constructions with inanimate subjects (agents)......Page 43
3.5 Impersonal constructions with non-volitional subjects (agents)......Page 45
3.6 A note on passives and derived strategies......Page 47
3.7 Conclusions......Page 49
4. Towards a semantic map for the impersonal domain......Page 51
5. Transimpersonal constructions: An additional link on the map?......Page 55
6. Conclusions......Page 61
References......Page 62
1. Introduction......Page 68
2. The typology of Man-Imps and 3pl-Imps......Page 72
2.1 Generic uses......Page 73
2.2 Episodic uses......Page 74
2.3 Specific......Page 75
3. The salient properties of Man-Imps and 3pl-Imps......Page 76
3.1 Morpho-syntactic properties......Page 77
3.2 Discourse- pragmatic properties......Page 78
4.1 The global perspective......Page 79
4.2 Europe......Page 80
4.2.1 Man Imps......Page 81
4.2.2 3pl-Imps......Page 82
4.2.3 Comparing the distribution of the two......Page 84
5. The realization of pronominal subjects: Pro-drop......Page 88
6. The actual use of Man-Imps and 3pl-Imps......Page 94
7. Concluding remarks......Page 97
References......Page 98
1.  Outlook......Page 102
2. Motion verbs (VoM) as exceptions to unaccusativity: The problem under impersonal passivization......Page 103
3.1 The search for a uniquely motivated auxiliary selection:......Page 107
3.2 Russian verbs of motion (VoM)......Page 111
3.3 Event semantics and event syntax......Page 114
3.4 Event decomposition and the underspecificity of VoMs......Page 116
5. Scandinavian: Alternative ways to encode Impersonal passivization......Page 118
6. Addendum: Decomposition of auxiliaries......Page 121
7. VoM: How do agentivity and unaccusativity align?......Page 122
8. Aspect-based account vs. argument-based account......Page 125
9. The unified IPass criterion......Page 128
10. Results of our discussion......Page 132
References......Page 133
1. Introduction......Page 138
2.1 Presentationals in English, Spanish and German......Page 140
2.2 Formulaic vs. non-formulaic presentationals......Page 143
3.1 On subjects with object properties......Page 144
3.2 A conflict between form and function......Page 147
3.3 Lambrecht’s ‘global repulsion hypothesis’......Page 148
4. A typology of formulaic presentationals......Page 150
4.1 Types of existential predicates in formulaic presentationals of Germanic and Romance languages......Page 151
4.2 Cross-classifying types of predicates and types of expletives......Page 152
4.3 Thetic-V1 and thetic-XV languages......Page 153
5.1 One-place presentationals......Page 154
5.2.1 without an expletive: Latin, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian......Page 159
5.2.2 with locative expletives: English and Danish......Page 160
5.2.3 with locative expletives: Italian and Sardinian......Page 163
5.2.4 with weak pronominal expletives: Scandinavian and Dutch......Page 166
5.3.1 without an expletive......Page 169
5.3.2 with a weak pronominal expletive: German and French......Page 171
5.3.3 with a locative expletive......Page 172
6. Summary......Page 173
Abbreviations......Page 175
References......Page 176
Part II: Impersonal constructions: Diachronic studies......Page 178
1. Introduction......Page 180
2.1 Accusative subjects......Page 181
2.2.1 Impersonal constructions......Page 188
2.2.3 Accusative in topic function......Page 190
3. Voice and accusative subjects in Late Latin......Page 191
4. Impersonal constructions and the rise of split S systems......Page 195
References......Page 196
1. Introduction: From passive to impersonal......Page 200
2. The si-construction in Old Italian......Page 207
2.1 The extension to intransitive verbs......Page 211
2.2 The emergence of the impersonal si-construction with transitive verbs......Page 214
3. The situation in present-day Italian......Page 217
3.1 The passive si-construction......Page 218
3.2 The impersonal si-construction......Page 219
3.3 The inclusive si-construction......Page 223
4.1 The extension to intransitive verbs......Page 226
4.2 The development of impersonal si-constructions with transitive verbs......Page 230
4.3 The emergence and establishing of the inclusive si-construction......Page 231
5. Conclusions......Page 234
13 th and 14th century Italian......Page 237
References......Page 238
1.1 Preliminaries and definitions......Page 240
1.2 Agentless passive vs. anticausative: Semantic distinction and its conceptual basis......Page 242
2. Chronological and grammatical notes on Vedic......Page 244
3.1.1 drs ‘see’: drsya-te etc.......Page 245
3.1.2 sru ‘hear’: sruyá-te etc.......Page 247
3.1.3 khya (kśa) ‘see, consider, know’: khyayá-te......Page 249
3.1.4 2vid ‘know’: vidé etc. and 1vid ‘find’: vidyá-te, avedi......Page 250
3.2.1 Agentless passive usages of ucyá-te......Page 252
3.2.2 Anticausative usages of ucyá-te......Page 253
3.3 Passive to anticausative transition in other semantic classes......Page 255
4. Typological parallels from other Indo-European languages......Page 257
5.1 From passive to anticausative through impersonalization......Page 259
5.2 Epistemic roots of impersonalization......Page 260
6. Concluding terminological remarks: Impersonal vs. impersonalized passive......Page 261
Abbreviations......Page 262
References......Page 263
Part III: Cross-linguistic variation in Impersonal constructions: Case studies......Page 266
1. Introduction......Page 268
2. Basic Morphosyntax of the Maa Impersonal Construction......Page 271
3.1 Control of bound-pronominal marking on the verb......Page 276
3.2 Control of relative clause prefix if fronted......Page 277
4. Functions of the Maa Impersonal construction......Page 279
4.1 Focus on the event or situation......Page 280
4.2.1 Topical non-Agent......Page 281
4.2.2 Unknown or non-existent Agent......Page 283
4.2.3 Diffuse, non-specific human Agent......Page 284
4.2.4 Specific Agents and the Impersonal......Page 285
4.3 Existential......Page 288
5. Origins of the Impersonal suffix and construction......Page 291
Abbreviations......Page 294
References......Page 295
1. Introduction......Page 296
2. General information on Jóola-Banjal......Page 297
4. Intransitive verbs in a construction including no manifestation of the S argument......Page 300
5.1 The impersonal construction of enanno ‘remain’......Page 302
5.2 The impersonal construction of intransitive verbs with a clausal argument......Page 303
6. Impersonal use of ebaj ‘have’ in existential predication......Page 305
7. Impersonal use of the negative identification copula......Page 306
8. Lack of agreement in a construction including a subject pronoun......Page 308
9. A construction involving a frozen subject marker......Page 310
10. Arbitrary reading of the second person singular and third person plural subject markers......Page 312
11. Lexicalization of verb forms devoid of subject marker......Page 314
12. Conclusion......Page 315
References......Page 316
1. Preliminaries......Page 318
2. Atmospheric predications and impersonal constructions......Page 320
2.1 Global apprehension: The “the rain rains” strategy......Page 321
2.2 Partial backgrounding of the entity: The “the world rains” strategy......Page 322
2.3 Partial backgrounding of the process: The “the rain falls/hits” strategy......Page 324
2.5 Total backgrounding of the process: The “it is rain” strategy......Page 326
3.1 Gawwada......Page 327
3.2 Kabyle......Page 329
4. Conclusions......Page 332
References......Page 333
1. Introduction......Page 334
2. Relevant properties of modern hebrew......Page 336
3.1 Subjectless Clauses with Plural Predicates......Page 339
3.2 Subjectless Constructions with Modal Operators......Page 345
3.3 Pro)nominal expression of generic reference......Page 349
4.1 Type of Discourse......Page 351
4.2 Age-Schooling Related Factors......Page 352
4.3 Cross-Linguistic Factors in Selecting Means for Depersonalization......Page 355
5. Concluding discussion......Page 358
References......Page 362
1. Introduction......Page 368
2. The extent of the -ne/-te construction in Polish......Page 373
3.1 The -n-/-t- participle: Form and meaning......Page 382
3.2 The uses of the -n-/-t- participle as a resultative participle......Page 384
3.3 The finite verb......Page 387
4.1 Ambiguity of the ‘be’ + resultative participle construction......Page 388
4.2 Overlap with impersonal passives of intransitives......Page 389
4.3 Overlap with the predicative adverbial construction......Page 396
5. Location arguments in -ne/-te and predicative adverbial impersonals......Page 399
6. Summary and conclusions......Page 400
References......Page 402
1. Introduction......Page 406
2.2 Basic Uralic meteorological words and their origins......Page 409
3.1.1 Finnish......Page 411
3.1.3 Saami languages......Page 412
3.1.6 Udmurt......Page 413
3.1.7 Komi......Page 414
3.1.9 Northern Mansi......Page 415
3.1.11 Tundra Nenets......Page 416
3.2 Avalent verbs with expanded valencies: Temporal and local adverbs......Page 417
3.3 Avalent verbs with adverbials, translative + ‘become’-construction......Page 419
4.1 Verb + Object, subjective conjugation......Page 421
4.2 Objective conjugation, subjects sometimes forbidden......Page 424
4.3 The participating member in the partitive and other different ‘rain/snow’ structures in Finnish......Page 426
5.1 Plain subject +V......Page 427
5.2 Sdef + V......Page 433
5.3 Spx + V......Page 435
5.4 Cognate constructions......Page 437
5.5 Formal subject......Page 438
6. Conclusions......Page 440
Explanations for the symbols in use:......Page 442
Abbreviations......Page 444
Dictionary sources......Page 445
References......Page 446
1. Introduction......Page 450
2. Overview of Ket finite verb morphology......Page 451
3. Ket Agreement Configurations......Page 452
3.1 Subject/object marker combinations in transitive verbs......Page 453
3.2 Subject agreement in Ket intransitives......Page 455
4. Da-intransitives......Page 458
5. Typology and the evolution of da-intransitives......Page 460
6. Conclusions......Page 467
References......Page 469
1. Introduction......Page 470
1.1 Basics of CAY impersonals......Page 471
1.2 Primary verb stems......Page 473
1.2.2 Bivalent stems......Page 474
1.2.3 Trivalent (ditransitive) stems......Page 477
1.3.1 Simplex verbs......Page 478
1.3.2 Complex transitive verbs......Page 479
2.1 Monovalent impersonal stems......Page 481
2.2 Bivalent impersonal stems......Page 483
2.3.1 Impersonal and personal A......Page 486
3. Derived impersonals (necessitative) with |+naγqi-|......Page 490
3.1 Impersonal A......Page 491
3.2 Modality marker......Page 495
3.3 Further derivations of impersonal verbs......Page 496
4. Summary......Page 497
Abbreviations......Page 498
References......Page 499
1. Introduction......Page 500
2. Typological and language-specific features of Innu......Page 501
2.3 Gender and verbal morphology......Page 502
2.4 The coding of grammatical functions......Page 505
3. Lexical impersonal verbs......Page 509
3.1 Verbs of natural events......Page 510
3.2 Topographic verbs......Page 512
3.3 Impersonals in sentence-focus constructions......Page 513
3.4 Pragmatic impersonals and the ambivalence of Inanimate Intransitives......Page 516
3.5 A recapitulation of the formal and semantic properties of lexical impersonal verbs......Page 518
4.1 Suppressing an animate S: Derived impersonal verbs......Page 519
4.2 Suppressing an animate A: Personal passives......Page 521
4.3 Conclusion on impersonal passives......Page 522
5. Suppressing an Inanimate Agent......Page 523
6. Concluding remarks......Page 525
References......Page 526
A diachronic study of the impersonal passive in Ainu......Page 528
1. Introduction......Page 529
2.2 Grammatical relations in Ainu......Page 531
2.3 Notes on grammaticalization of person marking in Ainu......Page 534
3. Impersonal passive in the Saru and Chitose dialects of Ainu (Southern Hokkaido, Southwestern group)......Page 535
4. Impersonal passive in the Ishikari dialect of Ainu (Central Hokkaido, Northeastern group)......Page 539
5.1 A(n)= -marked construction......Page 545
5.2 Ci= -marked construction......Page 550
6. A tentative grammaticalization scenario for the impersonal passive in Ainu......Page 551
7. Conclusions......Page 553
Abbreviations......Page 554
References......Page 555
1. Introduction......Page 558
1.1 Types of impersonality......Page 559
1.2 Nouns and Pronouns in Mandarin......Page 560
2.1.1 rén......Page 562
2.1.2 yī-ge rén......Page 564
2.1.3 rén-men......Page 567
2.2.1 Impersonal use of 1st and 2nd person pronouns......Page 571
2.2.2 Impersonal use of 3rd person pronouns......Page 573
2.2.3 Between noun and pronoun, dàjia, biérén and rénjia......Page 576
2.3 Impersonals based on the verbal expression you rén......Page 579
2.4 Impersonalization via zero pronouns......Page 584
3. Concluding Remarks......Page 588
References......Page 590
1. Introduction......Page 592
2.1 No argument at all......Page 593
2.2 Verbs only occurring with dummy pronouns as subjects......Page 595
3. Labile verbs......Page 596
3.1 Optional impersonal construction of intransitive verbs......Page 597
3.2 Verbs employed both transitively and intransitively......Page 599
4. Differential agent marking......Page 601
4.1.1 In Kanak languages......Page 602
4.1.2 In Polynesian languages......Page 603
4.2 Oblique marked agents......Page 605
4.3 Multiple choice for one and the same verb......Page 607
5.1 Zero-anaphora due to discourse strategies......Page 608
5.2 Zero-anaphora due to syntactic constraints......Page 610
6.1 Impersonal use of the Polynesian 1sg inclusive pronoun......Page 611
6.3 Impersonal pronouns in Kanak languages......Page 613
7. Conclusion......Page 614
Abbreviations......Page 615
References......Page 616
1. Introduction......Page 618
2. Subject status in Umpithamu and the Lamalamic languages......Page 620
3. The core of impersonal constructions: Experiencer objects......Page 624
4.1 Inanimate agents......Page 627
4.2 Experienced action constructions......Page 629
5. Interpretation: Subject criteria, impersonal status and voice......Page 630
6. Abbreviations......Page 634
References......Page 635
Author index......Page 638
Language index......Page 644
Subject index......Page 648