[SPAM:####] Fwd: "depend NP on X" 'depend on NP for X'

[Arnold Zwicky]

i'm re-sending this message because the earlier version apparently
didn't through -- probably because i accidentally snarfed up some html
code (which i couldn't see).

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Arnold Zwicky <zwicky at stanford.edu>
> Date: December 8, 2008 8:14:08 AM PST
> To: ADS <ADS-L at listserv.uga.edu>
> Subject: "depend NP on X" 'depend on NP for X'
>
> caught on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ("Ending Happy", first
> aired 4/26/07): "They depended me on that" 'They depended on me for
> that'.  from the transcript at
>  http://www.twiztv.com/scripts/csi/season7/csi-721.txt
>
> -----
> (Brass interviews Connor Foster.)
>
> CONNOR FOSTER: Okay. So I shot Happy. I hated that guy. But it was
> self- defense.

> BRASS: Self-defense, really? How?

> CONNOR FOSTER: I myself was trying to defend the girls. They needed
> me to protect them. They depended me on that. So that's what I done.
> (whispers) This guy was a monster!
> -----

> the character Connor Foster is drunk in this scene, so i thought
> that maybe that was all that was going on.  but i did find a few
> further "depend NP on" examples (from people who seem to be native
> speakers of English): for example,

>  I NEVER DEPENDED HIM ON ANYTHING but being there for me. I was
> always doing things on my own and never wanted or asked him for a
> dime.
> http://www.makeuptalk.com/forums/52044-post8.html

>  [quoting earlier posting by Edward]  Hertz doesn't have this
> policy, and I had to rent an SUV from them as a last moment thing,
> because they didn't have any minivans to rent. Enterprise has cost
> me more money because I depended them on a reservation that wasn't
> fulfilled.
> http://www.failingenterprise.com/forums/enterprise-rent-car-customers-forum/1681-cash-debit-card-customers-8.html
> -----

> the numbers are small enough, however, that they could just be
> speech errors.  the following "depended them on" example almost
> surely is an error, with the "them" anticipating a later "them":

>  She longed to protect the family, learning the fighting arts like
> her sister Esmaralde, but when she requested such, her aunt turned
> her down immediately; to maintain the free and boundless lifestyle
> to which the family had become accustomed, everyone had their own
> job, and the quality of life depended them on them doing it
> efficiently and without complaint.
> http://p068.ezboard.com/frideonshootingstarfrm10.showNextMessage?topicID=1.topic
> -----

> but there is a possible route to "depend NP on X", namely via
> transitivization of "depend" by "dropping the preposition" that
> marks the object, taking intransitive "depend on NP" to transitive
> "depend NP" (we've discussed other cases of transitivizing P-drop
> here in the past).  some possible examples:

>  I hope Angie slows down and gets the help she needs. Even with all
> her money she wants to be mommy and not depend other people and if
> any of you are mothers you can understand that. I just pray she gets
> help and let Brad help her. Bless you Angie and love your movies and
> I for one am a BIG FAN, you ROck GIRL.
>
> http://www.starmagazine.com/news/14670?comment_page=11

>   Not every song a band makes is a hit, so you really have to put a
> certain amount of effort in when it comes to finding good music
> unfortunately (especially WN music). You can't always depend other
> people to do so.

> http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showthread.php?t=179887&page=2

>  This SPED dept has to be brought down for what they have done to
> the families who depended them to give them answers.
> http://schwablearningforumarchive.greatschools.net/thread/17799.html
> -----

> this sort of transitivization would take "depend on NP for X" to
> "depend NP for X", and there are a fair number of examples for that,
> among them:

>  Countless plant species depend them for propagation, including many
> agricultural species that feed humanity. Yet in many areas, natural
> bees are absent. ...

> http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/art/artists.htm

>   Russia has grown rich and regained power because Europeans depend
> them for their energy. The Democratic party has been instrumental in
> crippling our sources ...

> http://useconomy.about.com/b/2008/06/18/high-oil-prices-caused-by-wall-st-not-opec.htm
>  More than 165 species of animals and insects depend them for
> survival, including black-footed ferrets, coyotes, bald eagles,
> swift fox, golden eagles, ...

> http://www.sfzoo.org/openrosters/ViewOrgPageLink.asp?LinkKey=13521&orgkey=1900
> -----

> now, if you have transitive "depend" you might still remember that
> "depend" takes an oblique object marked by "on" and so use "on" for
> the second object of "depend": "depend NP on X" is the result.
> (this is similar to the story about reversed "substitute" that i
> outlined some time ago: the result is not exactly a combo, but it
> does have features from two different sources.)
> arnold
>

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