Ambitransitive verb: Difference between revisions

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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]].
{{ref}}
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 5: Line 6:
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
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')
3. phasal verbs
|-
4. sound emission verbs


=== 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 25: Line 21:
==== 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]]

Latest revision as of 15:20, 3 August 2014

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Please remove this block only when the problem is solved.

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).’ ||
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