Secundative language

A secundative language is a language in which the recipients of ditransitive verbs are treated like the patients of monotransitive verbs and the themes get distinct marking. This language type was called dechticaetiative in an article by Edward L. Blansitt, Jr.[1] (from Greek dekhomai "take, receive" and an obscure second element, unlikely kaitoi "and indeed"), but that term did not catch on. They have also been called anti-ergative languages[2] and primary object languages.[3] Secundative languages contrast with indirective languages, where the recipient is treated in a special way.

Ditransitive verbs have two arguments other than the subject: a theme that undergoes the action and a recipient that receives the theme (see thematic relation). In a secundative language, the recipient of a ditransitive verb is treated in the same way as the single object of a monotransitive verb, and this syntactic category is called primary object. The theme of a ditransitive verb is treated separately and called secondary object.

For example in West Greenlandic, the direct object of a monotransitive verb appears in the absolutive case:[4]

Piita-p takurnartaq tuqup-paa
Peter-ERG.SG stranger.ABS.SG kill-INT.3S/3S
'Did Peter kill the stranger?'

In a ditransitive sentence, the recipient is appears in absolutive case and the theme is marked with the instrumental case:

(Uuma) Niisi aningaasa-nik tuni-vaa.
(that.ERG) Nisi money-INSTR.PL give-IND.3S/3S
'He gave Nisi money.'

Similarly, in Lahu, both the patient of a monotransitive verb and the recipient of a ditransitive verb are marked with the postposition thàʔ:[5]

ŋà thàʔ tâ dɔ̂ʔ
1SG OBJ NEG.IMP hit
'Don't hit me.'
lìʔ chi ŋà thàʔ pîʔ
book that 1SG OBJ give
'Give me that book.'

In secundative languages with passive constructions, passivation promotes the primary object to subject. For example, in Swahili:[6]

Halima a-li-m-pa zawadi Fatuma.
Halima she-PAST-her-give gift Fatuma
'Halima gave a gift to Fatuma.'
Fatuma a-li-p-ew-a zawadi na Halima.
Fatuma she-PAST-give-PASS gift by Halima
'Fatuma was given a gift by Halima.'

the recipient Fatuma is promoted to subject and not the theme zawadi 'gift'.

Many languages show mixed indirective/secondive behavior. English, which is primarily indirective, arguably contains secundative constructions, traditionally referred to as dative shift. For example, the passive of the sentence

John gave Mary the ball'.

is

Mary was given the ball by John.

in which the recipient rather than the theme is promoted to subject. This is complicated by the fact that some dialects of English may promote either the recipient (Mary) or the theme (the ball) argument to subject status, and for these dialects '

The ball was given Mary by John.

(meaning that the ball was given to Mary) is also well-formed. In addition, the argument structure of verbs like provide is essentially secundative: in

The project provides young people with work.

the recipient argument is treated like a monotransitive direct object.

Notes

  1. ↑ Blansitt 1984.
  2. ↑ Comrie 1975, LaPolla 1992.
  3. ↑ Dryer 1986.
  4. ↑ Fortescue 1984:130, cited by Malchukov, et al. 2010.
  5. ↑ Matisoff 1973:156, cited by Dryer 1986.
  6. ↑ Vitale 1981:130, cited by Malchukov, et al. 2010.

See also

References