<div dir="ltr"><div>I use "ambitransitive" instead of "ambivalent" -- it's unambiguous. "Flexible" is also used in this sense, but already has too wide a range of meanings.</div><div><br></div><div>I agree, ±oriented and ±directed aren't great. A few years ago, searching through a thesaurus for possibilities, I tried out "bearing(s)", which is a good replacement for "direction" or "orientation" but not for directed/undirected, etc. (Well, we have "rudderless", but that's too heavy on the connotations, and anyway no related antonym.) I think the same problem comes up with anything based on "Janus". Maybe "steered/unsteered" and "steering"?</div><div><br></div><div>Alternatively, we could probably turn to an Oceanic language for a precise, well-elaborated set of relevant nautical terms.</div><div><br></div><div>Johanna<br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Dec 27, 2023 at 4:05 AM Christian Lehmann <<a href="mailto:christian.lehmann@uni-erfurt.de">christian.lehmann@uni-erfurt.de</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><u></u>
<div>
Dear colleagues,<br>
<br>
sorry for my exaggerated preoccupation with adequate terminology. I
have to name the Cabecar (Chibchan) verb root classes, but am short
of linguistic terms. Verbs form voice stems for conjugation in
active and middle voice. Middle voice involves a suffix for all
verbs; active voice involves a suffix in one root class.<br>
<br>
The criteria of the classification are:<br>
- Does the root have an active voice? If not, it is a medial root (a
Classicist would call it <i>deponens</i>).<br>
- Does the active voice stem involve a suffix (viz. the
causativizer)? If not, I call the root preliminarily 'directed'.<br>
- Is the root transitive or intransitive in active voice?<br>
<br>
These are the classes:<br>
1. Directed roots: these directly conjugate in active voice:<br>
a. intransitive roots: in active voice, the verb is
intransitive (e.g. 'laugh');<br>
b. transitive roots: in active voice, the verb is transitive
(e.g. 'bend').<br>
2. Undirected roots: these do not directly conjugate in active
voice:<br>
a. medial roots: these only conjugate in the middle voice,
and the valency of this voice stem is intransitive (e.g. 'stay');<br>
b. ambivalent roots: these alternatively take on the middle
voice suffix and then are intransitive, or they take on the
causativizer and then are transitive (e.g. 'melt').<br>
<br>
These four classes work satisfactorily. What I am unhappy with is
the names 'directed', 'undirected' and 'ambivalent'. The idea
underlying 'directed - undirected' is that undirected verb roots
have no base valency; this is, instead, conferred to them by the
voice suffix. The idea behind 'ambivalent' is that these roots have
either valency depending on the voice suffix that they are provided
with.<br>
<br>
I would prefer 'oriented - non-oriented' to 'directed -
nondirected'; but this term pair is taken by the contrast between
verbal constructions of the sort (English examples:) <i>actor/who
acts</i> vs. <i>action/that he acts</i>. And 'ambivalent' is a
very ambivalent term; a more specific one (like 'Janus-headed') may
be more mnemonic.<br>
<br>
Have you seen appropriate term (pair)s in grammars? Or can you think
of terms that would fit?<br>
<br>
Many thanks in advance,<br>
Christian<br>
-- <br>
<p style="font-size:90%">Prof. em. Dr. Christian Lehmann<br>
Rudolfstr. 4<br>
99092 Erfurt<br>
<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Deutschland</span></p>
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