Unaccusativity

[Bert Peeters]

I have been asked to further clarify my recent query regarding
unaccusativity. An amended text follows hereafter.

To try and improve on what others have said regarding the semantics
of unaccusativity, I have started to look at unaccusative verbs in
a broad range of typologically different languages. A verb or a
construction involving a verb qualifies as unaccusative if there
is evidence that its subject (which would typically be its only
argument) behaves in certain ways as a direct object rather than
a subject, or is morphologically marked in the same way as a direct
object. Defined in this way, unaccusativity seems to exist not only
in ergative and semi-ergative languages, but also in accusative
languages. In the case of semi-ergative languages, there is a
split between accusative and ergative patterning according to the
meaning of the verb (split intransitivity), its tense/mood/aspect,
or the nature of the arguments involved. Would those who know
of languages that are said to have unaccusative verbs and/or
constructions please tell me which verbs are (or can be) unaccusative,
and why these verbs rather than others are deemed to be unaccusative?
It does not matter which language(s) you work on or know of, all
information (including if at all possible references to the
literature) is welcome.

Thanks to all. I'll summarize if there is sufficient interest.

Bert Peeters

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Dr Bert Peeters - School of English & European Languages and Literatures
University of Tasmania, GPO Box 252-82, Hobart TAS 7001, Australia
Tel.: +61 (0)3 6226 2344 / Fax.: +61 (0)3 6226 7631
E-mail: Bert.Peeters at utas.edu.au
http://www.utas.edu.au/docs/humsoc/modern_languages/peeters/peeters.htm
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