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In:Argument Selectors: A new perspective on grammatical relations
Edited by Alena Witzlack-Makarevich and Balthasar Bickel
[Typological Studies in Language 123] 2019
► pp. 301–348

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Grammatical relations in Mandinka

 | Université Lumière (Lyon 2)
Published online: 5 March 2019
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.123.09cre
In this paper, after establishing on a strictly language-internal basis the distinction between four possible syntactic positions for arguments in Mandinka predicative constructions, and analyzing alignment relationships in the coding properties of arguments, I discuss alignment in the syntactic operations and constructions likely to be relevant to the definition of grammatical relations. Most of them confirm the S = A ≠ P alignment apparent in the coding properties of arguments. However, Mandinka also has several constructions or operations with no differentiation between S, A and P, a few others in which A and P behave differently and S is aligned with P, and one with a tripartite treatment of S, A and P.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Verbal predication in mandinka
    • 2.1Core terms and obliques
    • 2.2Verbal predication with two core terms
    • 2.3Verbal predication with a single core term
    • 2.4Transitivity alternations, or null core terms?
    • 2.5The middle variant of the verbal predicative construction with two core terms
  • 3.Valency classes and alignment in the coding properties or arguments
    • 3.1Monovalent verbs
    • 3.2Bivalent verbs
    • 3.3Trivalent verbs
    • 3.4Alignment in argument coding
  • 4.Valency alternations
    • 4.1Uncoded valency alternations
      • 4.1.1C2 ~  C alternation
      • 4.1.2C2 ~  X alternation
      • 4.1.3The active/introversive alternation
      • 4.1.4The C2 ~  X permutation
      • 4.1.5Alternations involving the middle construction
      • 4.1.6The C ~  X alternation (or presentational alternation)
    • 4.2Valency operations involving a change in the verb stem
      • 4.2.1Antipassive derivation and the antipassive periphrasis
      • 4.2.2Causative derivation
      • 4.2.3Postposition incorporation
    • 4.3Conclusion of Section 4
  • 5.Constructions and operations for which the distinction between C, C1, C2, and X is not relevant
    • 5.1Topicalization
    • 5.2Focalization
    • 5.3Wh-questions
    • 5.4Relativization (1)
  • 6.Secondary predication as a construction in which core terms contrast with obliques, but core terms are all treated in the same way
  • 7.Constructions and operations in which C/C1 contrasts with C2
    • 7.1Imperative clauses
    • 7.2Reflexivization and reciprocalization
    • 7.3Infinitival constructions and coreference in clause coordination
    • 7.4Relativization (2)
    • 7.5Nominalization
    • 7.6Gerundive incorporation
    • 7.7Discourse particles
  • 8.Constructions and operations in which C/C2 contrasts with C1
    • 8.1The resultative participle
    • 8.2Similative incorporation
  • 9.Constructions and operations with a tripartite treatment of C, C1 and C2
  • 10.Conclusion
  • Abbreviations
  • Notes
  • References
References (18)
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Cited by (3)

Cited by three other publications

Friederike Lüpke
2024. The Oxford Guide to the Atlantic Languages of West Africa, DOI logo
Creissels, Denis
2018. The Obligatory Coding Principle in diachronic perspective. In Typological hierarchies in synchrony and diachrony [Typological Studies in Language, 121], ► pp. 59 ff. DOI logo
Creissels, Denis
2025. 91525 Non-verbal predication in Mandinka and other Mande languages. In Non-verbal Predication in the World’s Languages, ► pp. 915 ff. DOI logo

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