Cover not available

In:Boundaries, Phases and Interfaces: Case studies in honor of Violeta Demonte
Edited by Olga Fernández-Soriano, Elena Castroviejo Miró and Isabel Pérez-Jiménez
[Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today 239] 2017
► pp. 305–324

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload Book PDF
authorization required

Two types of transitive verbs in Spanish

Ditransitives in disguise

 | Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Published online: 14 June 2017
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.239.14fer
This paper focuses on the different properties shown by two types of verbs that surface as transitive verbs in Spanish. The article tries to demonstrate that, beside regular transitive verbs taking a DP complement (e.g. Juan leyó un libro ‘Juan read a book’), other apparent transitive verbs – pseudotransitive verbs – (e.g. Juan golpeó al prisionero ‘Juan hit the prisoner’) hide a deep ditransitive structure in which a nominal argument is conflated into an abstract predicate. Subextraction, nominalization and quantifier scope data are used to support this claim. The analysis derives the different properties exhibited by these two types of verbs from their base argument structure and shows that they are independent from other syntactic mechanisms such as differential object marking.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Data
    • 2.1Case marking of objects in nominalization
    • 2.2Objects as relational adjectives
    • 2.3Quantifier scope
    • 2.4Sub-extraction from the object
    • 2.5Misleading evidence: Compatibility with datives and secondary predicates
  • 3.Ditransitive verbs in disguise
    • 3.1PTVs as underlying ditransitive verbs
    • 3.2Explaining the data
    • 3.3Transitive verbs and DOM
  • 4.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
References (35)
References
Abney, Steven Paul. 1987. The English Noun Phrase in its Sentential Aspect. PhD dissertation, MIT.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Aissen, Judith. 2003. Differential Object Marking: Iconicity vs economy. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 21: 435–483. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bassa Vanrell, Maria del Mar & Romeu, Juan. 2013. The meaning of DOM in Spanish. Paper presented at CASTL Spring Conference on Differential Object Marking . Universitet i Tromsø, 23–24 May 23–24, 2013.
Beck, Sigrid & Johnson, Kyle. 2004. Double objects again. Linguistic Inquiry 35(1): 97–123. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bosque, Ignacio & Masullo, Pascual. 1998. On verbal quantification in Spanish. In Studies on the Syntax of Central Romance Languages, Olga Fullana & Francesc Roca (eds), 9–63. Girona: Universitat de Girona.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bosque, Ignacio & Picallo, M. Carme. 1996. Postnominal adjectives in Spanish DP’s. Journal of Linguistics 32(3): 349–386. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bruening, Benjamin. 2010. Ditransitive asymmetries and a theory of idiom formation. Linguistic Inquiry 41(4): 519–562. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Chomsky, Noam. 1986. Barriers. Cambridge MA: The MIT Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2008. On phases. In Foundational Issues in Linguistic Theory. Essays in Honor of Jean-Roger Vergnaud, Robert Freidin, Carlos P. Otero & Maria Luisa Zubizarreta (eds), 133–166. Cambridge MA: The MIT Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cuervo, María Cristina. 2003. Datives at Large. PhD dissertation, MIT.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Demonte, Violeta. 1995. Dative alternation in Spanish. Probus 7: 5–30. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Diesing, Molly. 1992. Indefinites. Cambridge MA: The MIT Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Dowty, David. 1991. Thematic proto-roles and argument selection. Language 67: 547–619. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fábregas, Antonio. 2005. La Definición de la Categoría Gramatical en una Morfología Orientada Sintácticamente: Nombres y Adjetivos. PhD dissertation, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fernández-Alcalde, Héctor. 2007. Some notes on the argument structure of Spanish and English. Researchgate, 30 April 2007, <[URL]> Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2013. Datives, prepositions, and argument structure in Spanish. In Romance Languages and Linguistic Theory 2011 [Romance Languages and Linguistic Theory 5], Sergio Baauw, Frank Drijkoningen, Luisa Meroni & Manuela Pinto (eds), 125–142. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gallego, Ángel J. 2007. Phase Theory and Parametric Variation. PhD dissertation, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Giorgi, Alessandra & Longobardi, Giuseppe. 1991. The Syntax of Noun Phrases: Configuration, Parameters and Empty Categories. Cambridge: CUP.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hale, Kenneth & Keyser, Samuel J. 1993. On the argument structure and the lexical expression of syntactic relations. In The View from Building 20. Essays in Linguistics in Honor of Sylvain Bromberger, Kenneth Hale & Samuel J. Keyser (eds), 53–109. Cambridge MA: The MIT Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2002. Prolegomenon to a Theory of Argument Structure. Cambridge MA: The MIT Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Harley, Heidi B. 2003. Possession and the double object construction. Linguistic Variation Yearbook 2: 29–68. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kayne, Richard S. 1981. On certain differences between French and English. Linguistic Inquiry 12(2): 349–371.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1984. Connectedness and Binary Branching. Dordrecht: Foris. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Krifka, Manfred. 1998. The origins of telicity. In Events and Grammar, Susan Rothstein (ed.), 197–235. Dordrecht: Kluwer. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Leonetti, Manuel. 2004. Specificity and Differential Object Marking in Spanish. Catalan Journal of Linguistics 3: 75–114.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Levin, Beth. 1999. Objecthood: An event structure perspective. Papers from the Regional Meetings , Chicago Linguistic Society 35: 223–247.
Maling, Joan. 2001. Dative: The heterogeneity of the mapping among morphological case, grammatical functions, and thematic roles. Lingua 111: 419–464. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Marín, Rafael. 2001. El componente aspectual de la predicación. PhD dissertation, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pensado, Carmen (ed.). 1995. El Complemento Directo Preposicional. Madrid: Visor.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pesetsky, David. 1995. Zero Syntax: Experiencers and Cascades. Cambridge MA: The MIT Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ramchand, Gillian C. 2008. Verb Meaning and the Lexicon. A First Phase Syntax. Cambridge: CUP. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ross, John Robert. 1967. Constraints on Variables in Syntax. PhD dissertation, MIT.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sáez, Luis. 2009. Applicative phrases hosting accusative clitics. In Little Words, Ronald P. Leow, Héctor Campos & Donna Lardiere (eds), 61–74. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sánchez López, Cristina. 2007. The possessive dative and the syntax of affected arguments. In Cuadernos de Lingüística del I. U. I. Ortega y Gasset XIV, Irene Gil, Héctor Fernández-Alcalde & Raquel González (eds), 153–173. Madrid: Instituto Universitario de Investigación Ortega y Gasset.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Torrego, Esther. 1998. The Dependencies of Objects. Cambridge MA: The MIT Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue