Changing Valency: Case Studies in Transitivity

by R. M. W. Dixon (Editor), Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald (Editor)

Overview

This book presents a wealth of information on some of the most interesting languages in the world, most of them little-known in the linguistics literature. The distinguished team of authors have each examined "valency-changing mechanisms" (phenomena including passives and causatives) in languages ranging from Amazonian Tariana to Alaskan Eskimo, from Australian Ngan'gityemerri to Tsez from the Caucasus. R. M. W. Dixon has also contributed a comprehensive chapter on causatives across the languages of the world. The volume will provide valuable insights both for formal theoreticians and for linguistic typologists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521660396
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	02/10/2000
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	6.26(w) x 9.29(h) x 1.22(d)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction R. M. W. Dixon and Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald; 2. A typology of causatives: Form, syntax and meaning R. M. W. Dixon; 3. Valency-changing derivation in Central Alaskan Yup'ik Marianne Mithun; 4. Transitivity and valency-changing derivations in Motuna Masayuki Onishi; 5. Transitivity in Tariana Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald; 6. Voice and valency in the Athapaskan family Keren Rice; 7. Valency-changing derivations in K'iche' Lyle Campbell; 8. Valency-changing derivations in Dulong/Rawang Randy J. LaPolla; 9. Valency-changing and valency-encoding devices in Amharic Mengistu Amberber; 10. Complex verb collocations in Ngan'gityemerri: a non-derivational strategy for encoding valency alternations Nicholas Reid; 11. Valency-changing derivations in Tsez Bernard Comrie; 12. Creek voice: Beyond valency Jack Martin.

Editorial Reviews

Review of the hardback: 'This book is a grammatical sampler, and as such a joy in itself to typologists. Theory falls away, and the languages speak through their interpreters.' Modern Language Review

From the Publisher