Abstract

In this corpus study we make a first approach to different aspects of transitivity, understood as a phenomenon with multiple faces, in the texts corresponding to the beginning of Modern Catalan (17th century, with a especial emphasis on the first half of the century). In particular, we deal with the case of several verbs showing an hesitating behaviour between the transitive and the intransitive use, and we undertake the study of this aspect from the point of view of differential object marking, since the alternations in these verbs may be confusing when analysing the pervasiveness of direct object introduced by a (see § 2). Next, also taking differential object marking as the reference point, we focus on the constructions that favour significantly the use of this marking in front of direct objects (see § 3). Finally, we briefly deal with some other interesting aspects of transitivity in the texts of the beginning of Modern Catalan, such as the use of unergative verbs in transitive patterns including a cognate direct object, or the causativization of intransitive verbs of motion (see § 4).

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyse the structures containing a participle combined with a motion verb, in cases such as venir plorat de casa (lit. ‘to come cried from home’ / intend. ‘to come after crying at home’). The interest of these data lies in the fact that the participles involved here are not active (plorat ‘cried’, tossit ‘coughed’), but they acquire an active reading when combined with verbs of movement (venir ‘come’, arribar ‘to arrive’). In this paper, we compile and describe the data that patterns this configuration and we propose some ideas for a possible formal analysis. Firstly, following Armstrong (2017), we propose that verbs such as ‘cry’ allow the formation of an active participle because they have an implicit object. We consider this active participle to be a secondary predicate selected by the verb. In particular, the participle projects a small clause which is an absolute construction, therefore it expresses an action which is finished and previous to the action of the main verb. Secondly, we propose that the main verb is an inherently directed motion verb that projects an unergative structure, and not an unaccusative one, what triggers an agentive interpretation of the subject.