helps to-X-constructions

[Alexandre Arkhipov]

Dear Wolfgang,

 

I would mention the term “assistive” which is used e.g. for one of functions of Turkic -(V)s- verb suffix. Its exact form and range of functions varies across different Turkic languages, including reciprocal (do sth. to each other), sociative (do sth. together), comitative (do sth. with sb.), assistive (help sb. do sth.) etc., depending on the type of the verb stem which takes the suffix.

It was my impression that the label “sociative causative” would normally be used for cases where the Causator is normally the subject and the Causee is a complement. In (Turkic) assistive constructions, on the contrary, it is the main instigator of the action who is expressed by a complement (often in dative or with a comitative postposition), and the participant expressed by the subject only helps the main instigator (seems to fit Beja examples cited by Martine Vanhove). Shibatani & Pardeshi (2002) include “assistive” into sociative causation as one of subtypes, but the Turkic assistive does not seem to have a necessary causation component.

For references see (Nedjalkov 2004) and studies of corresponding languages (e.g. Kharitonov 1963, Kharitonov 1982, Shcherbak 1981, in Russian).

Note that I’m not sure if (and how) assistive is used with such inanimate participants as the abstract notions in the example you cite.

 

Харитонов Л. Н. (1963) Залоговые формы глагола в якутском языке. — М.—Л., 1963.

Харитонов Л. Н. (1982) Грамматика современного якутского литературного языка. Фонетика и морфология. — М., 1982.

Щербак А. М. (1981) Очерки по сравнительно-исторической морфологии тюркских языков (Глагол). — Л., 1981.

Nedjalkov Vladimir. (2004) Reciprocal constructions in Turkic languages (typological characteristics). // International Symposium “Syntactic relations and argument structure” in LENCA series (Languages of Europe, Northern and Central Asia). Kazan, May 11—14, 2004. — Kazan, 2004, p. 24–27.

http://www.ling.helsinki.fi/uhlcs/LENCA/LENCA-2/information/datei/06-nedjalkov-eng.pdf

Shibatani, Masayoshi; Pardeshi, Prashant (2002) The causative continuum. // The Grammar of Causation and Interpersonal Manipulation. — (Typological Studies in Language, 48). — Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2002, p. 85–126.

 

 

Best regards,

Alexandre

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Vanhove 
  To: LINGTYP at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG 
  Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 6:09 PM
  Subject: Re: helps to-X-constructions


  Dear Wolfgang,

  Roper, E.M. (1928. "Tu Bedawi". An Elementary Handbook for the Use of Sudan Government Officials. London) gives, in Beja (Northern Cushitic) for the verbal derived form he calls "reciprocal and social" of the so-called "weak" verbs the following comment "The reciprocal form may mean to help or accompany another in doeing". Unfortunatly the sole example he provides belongs to the "accompany" semantic field (baraa Daabenhob henén Daabsamne - sorry the diaritics are missing) "when they run we will-run-with-(them).) 
  But for "strong" verbs (which have a different morphology), under the derived formed simply labelled as "reciprocal" he provides the following comment (p. 73) "In the singular it means - to assist another in doing. In the plural it means - to do to each other." His examples are: aneb amogaada "help me throw" (from gid throw), baro amodaarheb "help me to kill him" (lit. he.accusative help to kill-me; from gid "kill").

  Two French colleagues of mine are working on the subject at the moment, they use the label "sociative causative", and you can contact them (Françoise Rose : rose at vjf.cnrs.fr, and Antoine Guillaume aguillau at ish-lyon.cnrs.fr). They'll present a paper on this topic during the next ALT conference in Paris.

  Best wishes

  Martine Vanhove

  A 15:18 22/08/2007 +0200, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schulze a écrit :

    Dear Colleagues,
    just a little question: Does anybody has a term for what can be called "helps-to-X"-constructions, as in "Genetic variation *helps to* understand predisposition to schizophrenia"? (horribile dictu: Adjuvative?) And: is there any evidence that this function has become grammaticalized in terms of verbal morphology?
    Many thanks in advance and best wishes,
    Wolfgang

    -- 

    Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schulze                                                                     

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