[Lingtyp] base valency classes of verb roots

[Johanna B Nichols]

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.

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"?

Alternatively, we could probably turn to an Oceanic language for a precise,
well-elaborated set of relevant nautical terms.

Johanna

On Wed, Dec 27, 2023 at 4:05 AM Christian Lehmann <
christian.lehmann at uni-erfurt.de> wrote:

> Dear colleagues,
>
> 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.
>
> The criteria of the classification are:
> - Does the root have an active voice? If not, it is a medial root (a
> Classicist would call it *deponens*).
> - Does the active voice stem involve a suffix (viz. the causativizer)? If
> not, I call the root preliminarily 'directed'.
> - Is the root transitive or intransitive in active voice?
>
> These are the classes:
>     1. Directed roots: these directly conjugate in active voice:
>         a. intransitive roots: in active voice, the verb is intransitive
> (e.g. 'laugh');
>         b. transitive roots: in active voice, the verb is transitive (e.g.
> 'bend').
>     2. Undirected roots: these do not directly conjugate in active voice:
>         a. medial roots: these only conjugate in the middle voice, and the
> valency of this voice stem is intransitive (e.g. 'stay');
>         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').
>
> 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.
>
> 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:) *actor/who acts* vs. *action/that he acts*. And
> 'ambivalent' is a very ambivalent term; a more specific one (like
> 'Janus-headed') may be more mnemonic.
>
> Have you seen appropriate term (pair)s in grammars? Or can you think of
> terms that would fit?
>
> Many thanks in advance,
> Christian
> --
>
> Prof. em. Dr. Christian Lehmann
> Rudolfstr. 4
> 99092 Erfurt
> Deutschland
> Tel.: +49/361/2113417
> E-Post: christianw_lehmann at arcor.de
> Web: https://www.christianlehmann.eu
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