"needs washed": P.S.

[Douglas G. Wilson]

On 7/26/2011 4:48 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society<ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn<laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      "needs washed":  P.S.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> P.S.  I just realized this would be a good excuse to alert ads-l readers =
> to the existence of the Yale Grammatical Diversity Project on English in =
> North America (a.k.a. MSAVE), an almost brand-new online dialect syntax =
> project.  Click on =
> http://microsyntax.sites.yale.edu/phenomena/needs-washed
> and read (and click) away!
--

This is interesting (thanks) and I've just started to look at it.

My remarks on the "Syntactic Properties":

<<As pointed out in Brassil (2009), "need washed" sentences:>>

<<do not admit the presence of a "by-phrase" (unlike passives, and like
middles): Her dress needs washed (*by Alexis)>>

--

This doesn't seem right to me. Google (e.g.) <<"needs checked by">> for
a couple dozen examples which seem (to me) entirely natural for
Pittsburgh etc.

As for the construction with "want": Google (e.g.) (preferably with
NetNanny disabled, I guess) <<"wants laid by">> (the less squeamish can
try the comparable expression with the F-word, etc.).

--

<<allow the presence of a purpose clause (like passives, and unlike
middles): Rice needs cooked in order to round out the meal.>>

--

Right.

--

<<express generic statements and not punctual events (unlike passives,
and like middles): These laminate floors need cleaned (*at noon).>>

--

I'm not sure about this one. Of course there is not unanimity on these
things. I find only sparse counterexamples by Google: e.g., "That means
the water would need turned off at 3 a.m., not 6 a.m. as Joe thought."

--

<<exhibit lexical restrictions - that is, are not possible with all
transitive verbs: *Dave needs invited.>>

--

Maybe there are lexical restrictions, I don't know, but the example is
not convincing. Google (e.g.) <<"need invited" -"in need">> for numerous
examples with "invited" (along with some false hits).

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IIRC there is a map for "needs washed" in Labov's atlas which can be
seen by "search inside" at Amazon.

-- Doug Wilson

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