Symmetrical voice and linking in western Austronesian languages / Sonja Riesberg.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Riesberg, Sonja, author.

Series:

Pacific linguistics ; 646.

Pacific Linguistics ; volume 646

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Austronesian languages--Grammar, Comparative.

Austronesian languages.

Physical Description:

xi, 244 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Berlin : De Gruyter Mouton, [2014].

Summary:

This book is an in-depth study of the voice systems of Totoli, Balinese, Indonesian, and Tagalog, which shows that the symmetrical nature of these systems poses a problem to current linking theories. It provides an analysis of symmetrical linking within two grammatical theories (LFG & RRG) and develops a modified LFG linking mechanism that sheds light on the differences as well as the similarities of symmetrical and asymmetrical voice systems.--Back cover.

Contents:

1 Introduction 1

1.1 What is symmetrical voice? 1

1.2 Symmetrical voice and syntactic theory 2

1.3 The data 4

1.4 Content and structure 7

2 The Symmetry of the Voices in Indonesian, Balinese, Totoli, and Tagalog 9

2.1 Introduction 9

2.2 Basic morpho-syntactic properties 11

2.2.1 Indonesian 11

2.2.2 Batinese 15

2.2.3 Totoli 17

2.2.4 Tagalog 22

2.2.5 Morphological marking and the markedness of voices 28

2.3 Subject properties 29

2.3.1 Relativisation 31

2.3.2 Control 37

2.3.3 Raising 44

2.3.4 Quantifier floating and secondary predicates 52

2.4 Properties of the non-subject argument 55

2.4.1 Quantifier floating and secondary predicates 55

2.4.2 Word order 61

2.4.3 Adjunct fronting 65

2.5 Challenging data 67

2.5.1 Reflexive binding 67

2.5.2 Control in Tagalog 75

2.6 Symmetrical voice languages 81

2.6.1 Against an undergoer-voice-as-passive analysis 85

2.6.2 Against an actor-voice-as-antipassive analysis 88

2.7 Conclusion 92

3 Linking Semantic Arguments to Syntax 93

3.1 Introduction 93

3.2 LFG and the Lexical Mapping Theory (LMT) 93

3.2.1 Asymmetrical linking and standard assumptions of LMT 93

3.2.2 Symmetrical voice as a challenge for standard LMT 99

3.2.3 Non-canonical linking in the LFG literature 100

3.2.3.1 Presentational focus 101

3.2.3.2 Underspecification of the actor argument 106

3.2.3.3 Morpholexically predetermined SUBJ linking 110

3.2.3.4 Inverse linking 114

3.3 Role and Reference Grammar 122

3.3.1 Standard assumptions and asymmetric linking in RRG 122

3.3.2 Symmetrical voice as a challenge to linking in RRG 133

3.4 Conclusion 139

4 Coreness, Obliqueness, and the Status of the Passive Actor 141

4.1 Introduction 141

4.2 CORE VS. OBLIQUE revisited 142

4.3 The status of the passive actor 148

4.3.1 Distinguishing arguments from adjuncts 150

4.3.2 A multi-step approach to the argument-adjunct-distinction 155

4.4 The core-oblique distinction in Austronesian languages 164

4.5 "Symmetries" in asymmetrical languages 168

4.6 Conclusion 175

5 A Modified LFG Approach to Linking 177

5.1 Introduction 177

5.2 Linking and the lexicon 178

5.3 Morpholexical linking and inverse linking revisited 182

5.3.1 The (pure) morpholexical approach 182

5.3.2 Inverse linking (again) 192

5.4 Approach A: Underspecification and morpholexical subject selection 195

5.4.1 General assumptions 196

5.4.2 Asymmetrical voice 198

5.4.3 Symmetrical voice 199

5.4.4 Passive 204

5.4.5 Critique 209

5.5 Approach B: Language specific classification of the agent 210

5.5.1 General assumptions 211

5.5.2 Linking asymmetrical and symmetrical voices 212

5.5.3 Critique 213

5.6 Limits of LMT 214

5.6.1 The function of voice alternations 214

5.6.2 Gradience in grammar 216

5.6.3 Definiteness restrictions 219

5.7 Conclusion 219

6 Conclusion 221.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [232]-241) and index.

ISBN:

1614518785

9781614518785

OCLC:

887856866