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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=779015316-20102008><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Wow, Thank you John, and everyone else, Mike, Benjamin,
Scott! I'll search on our language for this, and ask my local colleague how
this would be expressed in his language!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=779015316-20102008><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=779015316-20102008><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>I'm jazzed!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=779015316-20102008><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=779015316-20102008><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Ken</FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> lexicographylist@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:lexicographylist@yahoogroups.com] <B>On Behalf Of </B>John
Roberts<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, October 20, 2008 1:02 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
lexicographylist@yahoogroups.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Lexicog] meaning and
usage of "on me"<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV id=ygrp-text>
<P>Dear Ken,<BR><BR>This form of 'on me' in English can be categorized as the
malefactive. In many languages the form that is used to express the benefactive
is also used to express the malefactive, a deed done for the disbenefit of
someone. English is a language that uses different forms to express
benefactive/<WBR>malefactive. Typically English uses 'for' to express
benefactive and 'on' to express malefactive.<BR><BR>In Amele (Papuan) the same
form is used to express both notions. Benefactive can be expressed by an applied
object, as in (1), or by the postposition 'nu', as in (2). But malefactive can
only be expressed by an applied object, as in (3) and (4). <BR><BR>1)
Jo eu
ceh-i-t-i-a.<BR> house that
build-APPL-1sg.<WBR>OO-3sg.SU-<WBR>TODP<BR> 'He built that
house for me.'<BR><BR>2) Jo eu
ija=nu ceh-ei-a.<BR> house that 1sg=for
build-3sg.SU-<WBR>TODP<BR> 'He built that house for
me.'<BR><BR>3) Uqa ija=na ho q-i-t-i-a.<BR>
3sg<SPAN> </SPAN>1sg=of pig hit-APPL-1sg.<WBR>OO-3sg.SU-<WBR>TODP
<BR> ‘He killed my pig on me.’ <BR><BR>4) Ene<SPAN>
</SPAN>cain<SPAN>
</SPAN>salal-i-t-ag-<WBR>aun.<BR> here<SPAN> </SPAN>PROH<SPAN>
</SPAN>slide-APPL-1sg.<WBR>OO-2sg.SU-<WBR>NEGF <BR> ‘Don’t slide
here and annoy me (coll. don’t slide on me here).’<BR><BR>There appear to be a
number of articles posted on the internet describing
benefactive/<WBR>malefactive marking in different languages.<BR><BR>John
Roberts<BR><BR><BR><BR>Kenneth Keyes wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=mid:001101c931ec$d10b2060$6401a8c0@lifebook type="cite">?
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008>Dear All, </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008>Just a quick query. Have you thought about the phrase
"on me" when preceded by a verb? Someone recently asked me about
the meaning of "on me". He quoted Harry Truman's statement regarding Gen.
Douglas MacArthur's insubordination: "I don't want him to resign <STRONG><U>on
me</U></STRONG>, I want him fired!" What do you think of the phrase "on me"?
Is is a transitivizer? What does it <STRONG><U>mean</U></STRONG>? This is
different than its usual meaning as preposition as in the famous "lean on me".
I think it must mean "without my permission", or "against my will".
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008>Here are some examples I thought of:
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008>Don't leave <STRONG>on
me</STRONG>.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008>Don't quit <STRONG>on me</STRONG>.
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008>Don't up and marry <STRONG>on me</STRONG>.
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008>Don't die <STRONG>on me</STRONG>!</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008>I hope he doesn't...on me. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008>I'm afraid he might...on me. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008>Can you think of other examples? (Just a hint, using
Google wasn't very helpful.)</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008>Is there a text corpus where we can specify "any
verb [any tense, any person, any number ]" followed by the phrase "on"
followed by an accusative/dative personal pronoun? How long can a phrasal verb
incorporating "on me" be?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008>I am fascinated by this question. I hope you are too.
Many thanks in advance, </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008>Ken</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=938365212-19102008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV><SPAN style="COLOR: white"
width="1"></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
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