October 8, 2007
11-721: Grammars and Lexicons
Lori Levin
(Examples from Kroeger)
Causative sentences
(English, periphrastic and lexical)
• English causative – periphrastic
– John read the book.
– Mary made John read the book.
• English causative – lexical
– John died.
– Mary killed John.
– The boat sank.
– The enemy sank the boat.
Causative sentences
(Malayalam, lexical and morphological)
The lexical causative indicates
direct causation. The
morphological causative
indicates indirect causation.
Outline
• Morphological causatives
– Intransitive verbs
– Transitive verbs
• Which argument is the object?
– Ditranstive verbs
• Semantic types of causation
– Different causative constructions used for different
meanings
• Morphological and periphrastic causatives
– One clause or two?
– One subject or two?
Morphological Causative construction,
Intransitive verb (Malayalam)
Causative verbs
Play < agent >
subj
Play-caus < causer causee >
subj
obj
They are both agents
so we will call them
causer and causee.
Play-caus-pass < causer causee >
obl
subj
Causative construction, transitive
verb (Swahili)
Swahili Causative
Cook < agent patient >
subj obj
Cook-caus < causer causee patient >
subj
???? ????
Which one is the OBJ?
In (7) b, the object agreement marker “m” agrees with “girl, the causee.
The object agreement marker cannot agree with “door” as in (9).
Which one is the OBJ?
The causee becomes the subject of the passive.
Swahili Causative
Cook < agent patient >
subj obj
Cook-caus < causer causee patient >
subj
obj
obj2
Comparison between causative
and “give”
Swahili Causative
give < agent recipient theme >
subj obj
obj2
Cook-caus < causer causee patient >
subj
obj
obj2
Turkish Causative
Which one is the OBJ?
Turkish Causative
Open < agent theme >
subj obj
Open-caus < causer causee theme >
subj
obj2/obl obj
Comparison to “give”
Turkish Causative
give < agent recipient theme >
subj obj2/obl obj
Open-caus < causer causee theme >
subj
obj2/obl obj
Malayalam causative, transitive
verb
Causee is oblique:
pinch < agent patient >
subj obj
pinch-caus < causer causee patient >
subj
obl
obj
Causative of ditransitive verb?
Causative of ditransitive verb
Give < agent recipient theme >
subj obl
obj
Give-caus < causer causee recip theme >
subj
obl
dat
obj
Semantic distinctions in causation
Direct and indirect causation
Coercion and permission
Manipulation and direction
Change in case marking indicates
different type of causation.
Dative causee is manipulated. Instrumental
causee is given direction to eat.
Case marking of causee
The dative causee has control. For
example, she laughed because a movie
director told her to. The accusative
causee doesn’t have control. For
example, Taroo told a joke and Hanako
couldn’t help laughing.
One clause or two?
• Mary made John hit her.
• *Mary made John hit herself.
S
S
NP
NP
VP
Mary
V
made
S
John hit her.
Mary
VP
V
NP
made John
VP
hit her.
Which tree is compatible with this rule and the two sentences above: A
reflexive pronoun must have an antecedent in the same S.
Turkish reflexive pronouns:
also must have an antecedent in the same S
Morphological causative and
reflexive pronoun
One subject or two?
• Does the causee act like a subject?
– You might think so because the noun phrase
with the same semantic role (agent) was the
subject of the non-causative verb
Malayalam: causee is not a subject
In Malayalam, only a subject can be an antecedent for a reflexive pronoun.
The antecedent does not have to be in the same clause.
Chimwini: causee is a subject
Japanese: depends on the type of
causative