Summary of object-like adverbials

[Bingfu Lu]

Dear netters,
        About ten days ago, I posted a query about
duration adverbials patterning with objects.

        I have got dozen responds so far.  The first one
came from Martin Haspelmath, who informs me of:

"the expression of temporal extent as a kind of direct object is attested
widely in the world's languages. See ch. 8 of my book "From space to
time: Temporal adverbials in the world's languages" (Munich: Lincom
1997). In this book, I survey 53 languages for several kinds of temporal
adverbials, and I find various degrees of similarity to objects in two
dozen languages".

        His book tells us that in fact, the object marking is the most
frequent means to express duration expressions.  The second
frequent one, being much less than the first, is benefactive marking
(like English 'for').

        If I had had read this chapter of Martin's book, I would have not
posted the query.  However, form the responds, some new points
have been raised anyway.
        Now, my further questions are:

        1. It seems natural that duration expressions are patterned
with typical objects, since both are indefinite inanimate. (See Comrie

1987: Definite and Animate Direct Objects:
 A natural class.Linguistica Silesiana 3: 13-21)
        However, the accusative case first marks definite and
animate objects, namely, atypical objects.  But duration expressions
are patterned with typical objects more than with atypical objects.
There seems to be some seeming inconsistency.  How to explain
this inconsitancy?

        2. Martin does not distinquish 'duration' and 'frequency'
expressions in his dada.  In fact, they are not the same in all
aspects.
        "He visited me (*for) two times/twice"
(Does any English native speaker accept
"He visited me for two times"?)

Frequency expressions seem to be patterned first
with adverbials, but not objects.

        What are the ways to mark frequency expressions
in ohter languages?  Are they still patterned first with
objects?

        I would like to thanks the following responding netters
to my query (including the data they mentioned), in addition to
Martin.
Hans-Juergen Sasse (Albanian, Modern Greek)
Masja Tamm ( Finnic, Baltic and some of the Slavic languages e.g. Polish,
Russian and, most probably, in the other East Slavic languages)
Johanna Laakso (Finnish)
Lucyna Gebert (Slavic, especially Polish)
Paul Hopper (qestioning about the notion of 'adverbs/adverbials")
Randy LaPolla (questioning the notion of 'object')
 Bjoern Wieme (Polish, in some detail,  negative)
Maria Vilkuna (Finnish in some detail)
Alan R. King (Basque much in detail)

        Bingfu Lu