TY - JOUR
T1 - THE MISSING DATIVE ALTERNATION IN ROMANCE: EXPLAINING STABILITY AND CHANGE IN THE ARGUMENT STRUCTURE OF LATIN DITRANSITIVES
AU - &, Chiara Fedriani
AU - NAPOLI, Maria
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Transactions of the Philological Society published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Philological Society.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - This study explores the correlation between synchronic constructional variation shown by ditransitive verbs in Late Latin and (possible) diachronic developments, investigating the reasons why such developments did or did not occur throughout the history of this language. Starting from a comparison with the rise of the so-called ‘dative alternation’ in English, which emerged from a scenario that, apparently, was similar to the one found in Late Latin, we address the question as to why in the diachrony of this language such a linguistic phenomenon did not develop at all for some verbs and did not become productive for others – what we may call the ‘missing dative alternation’ in Romance. Drawing on a corpus-based study of six verbs instantiating different types of ditransitive
constructions since Early Latin, we show that each form has its own history, attesting to different instances of stability and/or change in its argument structure. We will also argue that when individual histories of single forms eventually converge on the same result, as happened in Romance, a comprehensive explanation is also needed. This study suggests such an explanation by shedding light on different functional motivations that triggered specific pathways of change and disfavoured other possible developments, giving a contribution to the still under-explored field of the diachrony of ditransitives.
AB - This study explores the correlation between synchronic constructional variation shown by ditransitive verbs in Late Latin and (possible) diachronic developments, investigating the reasons why such developments did or did not occur throughout the history of this language. Starting from a comparison with the rise of the so-called ‘dative alternation’ in English, which emerged from a scenario that, apparently, was similar to the one found in Late Latin, we address the question as to why in the diachrony of this language such a linguistic phenomenon did not develop at all for some verbs and did not become productive for others – what we may call the ‘missing dative alternation’ in Romance. Drawing on a corpus-based study of six verbs instantiating different types of ditransitive
constructions since Early Latin, we show that each form has its own history, attesting to different instances of stability and/or change in its argument structure. We will also argue that when individual histories of single forms eventually converge on the same result, as happened in Romance, a comprehensive explanation is also needed. This study suggests such an explanation by shedding light on different functional motivations that triggered specific pathways of change and disfavoured other possible developments, giving a contribution to the still under-explored field of the diachrony of ditransitives.
KW - Argument structure
KW - change and stability. Settore scientifico disciplinare GLOT-01/A Glottologia e Linguistica
KW - historical linguistics
KW - typology of ditransitives
KW - Argument structure
KW - change and stability. Settore scientifico disciplinare GLOT-01/A Glottologia e Linguistica
KW - historical linguistics
KW - typology of ditransitives
UR - https://iris.uniupo.it/handle/11579/149920
U2 - 10.1111/1467-968X.12255
DO - 10.1111/1467-968X.12255
M3 - Article
SN - 0079-1636
VL - 121
SP - 33
EP - 64
JO - Transactions of the Philological Society
JF - Transactions of the Philological Society
IS - 1
ER -