17.3657, Qs: Possessives Cross-Linguistically

[LINGUIST Network]

LINGUIST List: Vol-17-3657. Mon Dec 11 2006. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 17.3657, Qs: Possessives Cross-Linguistically

Moderators: Anthony Aristar, Eastern Michigan U <aristar at linguistlist.org>
            Helen Aristar-Dry, Eastern Michigan U <hdry at linguistlist.org>
 
Reviews: Laura Welcher, Rosetta Project / Long Now Foundation  
         <reviews at linguistlist.org> 

Homepage: http://linguistlist.org/

The LINGUIST List is funded by Eastern Michigan University, Wayne
State University, and donations from subscribers and publishers.

Editor for this issue: Kevin Burrows <kevin at linguistlist.org>
================================================================  

We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually
best posted to the individual asking the question. That individual is
then strongly encouraged to post a summary to the list. This policy was
instituted to help control the huge volume of mail on LINGUIST; so we
would appreciate your cooperating with it whenever it seems appropriate.

In addition to posting a summary, we'd like to remind people that it
is usually a good idea to personally thank those individuals who have
taken the trouble to respond to the query.

To post to LINGUIST, use our convenient web form at
http://linguistlist.org/LL/posttolinguist.html.


===========================Directory==============================  

1)
Date: 10-Dec-2006
From: Alexandra Teodorescu < teodorescu at mail.utexas.edu >
Subject: Possessives Cross-Linguistically 

	
-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2006 13:02:22
From: Alexandra Teodorescu < teodorescu at mail.utexas.edu >
Subject: Possessives Cross-Linguistically 
 


Dear colleagues,

I'm a PhD student at the University of Texas at Austin and I'm conducting a
cross-linguistic survey of possessive constructions modified by the
adjective ''former''.  In English, examples like ''John's former
restaurant'' are ambiguous between two interpretations: on the one hand the
construction refers to ''an object that was formerly a restaurant and is
now owned by John''. On the other hand, it refers to ''an object that used
to be a restaurant owned by John''.

I would be grateful if you could point out to me: (i) other languages that
show this ambiguity, (ii) languages that don't show this ambiguity. In the
latter case, please indicate the reading available. For both cases, an
example with glosses would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your help,
Alexandra Teodorescu 

Linguistic Field(s): Semantics




-----------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-17-3657