Difference between revisions of "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 [[Valenzalternation|valence alternation]].
+
An ambitransitive verb is a verb which can be used either as a [[transitive verb]] or [[intransitive verb]] without any morphological marking of its [[Valenzalternation|valence alternation]].
  
 
=== Semantic groups ===
 
=== Semantic groups ===
Line 7: Line 7:
 
The main semantic groups of verbs which tend to be labile cross-linguistically are:
 
The main semantic groups of verbs which tend to be labile cross-linguistically are:
  
{|-
+
1. motion verbs
|1. motion verbs
+
2. destruction verbs
|-
+
3. phasal verbs (Bulgarian ''zapochvam'' 'begin')
|2. destruction verbs
+
4. sound emission verbs (Russian ''igrat''' 'play', Bulgarian ''svirja'' 'play', German ''spielen'' 'play', French ''sonner'' 'sound, play')
|-
 
|3. phasal verbs (Bulgarian ''zapochvam'' 'begin')
 
|-
 
|4. sound emission verbs (Russian ''igrat''' 'play', Bulgarian ''svirja'' 'play', German ''spielen'' 'play', French ''sonner'' 'sound, play'
 
|}
 
  
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
 +
English:
  
English
+
1) ''Malcolm is reading a book.'' (''read'' is transitive)
 
+
2) ''Malcolm is reading.'' (''read'' is intransitive)
''Malcolm is reading a book.'' (''read'' is transitive)
 
 
 
''Malcolm is reading.'' (''read'' is intransitive)
 
  
 
=== Subtypes ===
 
=== Subtypes ===
Line 29: Line 22:
 
==== S/A aligned ambitransitive verbs ====
 
==== S/A aligned ambitransitive verbs ====
  
German
+
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.’ ||
 
|-
 
|}
 
  
 +
3) '''Inge''' liest ein Buch.'' || (transitive ''lesen'' has '''A''' and P)
 +
  ‘Inge is reading a book.’
 +
4) '''Inge''' liest'' || (intransitive ''lesen'' has an '''agent-like''' S)
 +
‘Inge is reading.’ ||
 +
5) *''Ein Buch liest.'' || (intransitive ''lesen'' '''cannot''' take a patient-like S)
 +
  *‘A book is reading.’ ||
  
 
==== S/P aligned ambitransitive verbs ====
 
==== S/P aligned ambitransitive verbs ====
  
English
+
English:
 
 
'''''Carl''' opens the door.'' (transitive ''open'' has A and '''P''')
 
 
 
'''''The door''' opens.'' (intransitive ''open'' has a '''patient-like''' S)
 
 
 
<nowiki>*</nowiki>''Carl opens.'' (intransitive ''open'' cannot have an agent-like' S)
 
  
 +
6) '''Carl''' opens the door.'' (transitive ''open'' has A and '''P''')
 +
7) '''The door''' opens.'' (intransitive ''open'' has a '''patient-like''' S)
 +
8) ''Carl opens.'' (intransitive ''open'' cannot have an agent-like' S)
  
 
==== Unaligned ambitransitive verbs ====
 
==== Unaligned ambitransitive verbs ====
  
German
+
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).’ ||
 
|-
 
|}
 
  
{|-
+
9) '''Dietlind''' kocht eine Suppe.'' || (transitive ''kochen'' has '''A''' and P)
|'''''Die Suppe''' kocht.'' || (intransitive ''kochen'' can have a '''patient-like''' S)
+
‘Dietlind is cooking a soup.’ ||
|-
+
10) '''Dietlind''' kocht.'' || (intransitive ''kochen'' can have an '''agent-like''' S)
| ‘The soup is being cooked (by somebody).’ ||
+
‘Dietlind is cooking (something).’ ||
|-
+
11) '''Die Suppe''' kocht.'' || (intransitive ''kochen'' can have a '''patient-like''' S)
|}
+
‘The soup is being cooked (by somebody).’ ||
  
 
{{dc}}
 
{{dc}}
 
[[Category:Valence]]
 
[[Category:Valence]]

Revision as of 15:19, 3 August 2014

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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:

1) Malcolm is reading a book. (read is transitive)
2) Malcolm is reading. (read is intransitive)

Subtypes

S/A aligned ambitransitive verbs

German:

3) Inge liest ein Buch. || (transitive lesen has A and P)
 ‘Inge is reading a book.’ 
4) Inge liest || (intransitive lesen has an agent-like S)
‘Inge is reading.’ ||
5) *Ein Buch liest. || (intransitive lesen cannot take a patient-like S)
 *‘A book is reading.’ ||

S/P aligned ambitransitive verbs

English:

6) Carl opens the door. (transitive open has A and P)
7) The door opens. (intransitive open has a patient-like S)
8) Carl opens. (intransitive open cannot have an agent-like' S)

Unaligned ambitransitive verbs

German:

9) Dietlind kocht eine Suppe. || (transitive kochen has A and P)
‘Dietlind is cooking a soup.’ ||
10) Dietlind kocht. || (intransitive kochen can have an agent-like S)
‘Dietlind is cooking (something).’ ||
11) Die Suppe kocht. || (intransitive kochen can have a patient-like S)
‘The soup is being cooked (by somebody).’ ||