Ambitransitive verb
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An ambitransitive verb is a verb which can be used either as a transitive verb or intransitive verb without any morphological marking of its valence alternation.
Semantic groups
The main semantic groups of verbs which tend to be labile cross-linguistically are:
| 1. motion verbs |
| 2. destruction verbs |
| 3. phasal verbs (Bulgarian zapochvam 'begin') |
| 4. sound emission verbs (Russian igrat' 'play', Bulgarian svirja 'play', German spielen 'play', French sonner 'sound, play' |
Examples
English
Malcolm is reading a book. (read is transitive)
Malcolm is reading. (read is intransitive)
Subtypes
S/A aligned ambitransitive verbs
German
| Inge liest ein Buch. | (transitive lesen has A and P) |
| ‘Inge is reading a book.’ |
| Inge liest | (intransitive lesen has an agent-like S) |
| ‘Inge is reading.’ |
| *Ein Buch liest. | (intransitive lesen cannot take a patient-like S) |
| *‘A book is reading.’ |
S/P aligned ambitransitive verbs
English
Carl opens the door. (transitive open has A and P)
The door opens. (intransitive open has a patient-like S)
*Carl opens. (intransitive open cannot have an agent-like' S)
Unaligned ambitransitive verbs
German
| Dietlind kocht eine Suppe. | (transitive kochen has A and P) |
| ‘Dietlind is cooking a soup.’ |
| Dietlind kocht. | (intransitive kochen can have an agent-like S) |
| ‘Dietlind is cooking (something).’ |
| Die Suppe kocht. | (intransitive kochen can have a patient-like S) |
| ‘The soup is being cooked (by somebody).’ |
