Changing Valency
Case Studies in Transitivity

Distinguished scholars examine the phenomena of passives and causatives in languages from around the world.

R. M. W. Dixon (Edited by), Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald (Edited by)

9780521660396, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 10 February 2000

432 pages
23.6 x 15.9 x 3.1 cm, 0.835 kg

Review of the hardback: 'This book is a grammatical sampler, and as such a joy in itself to typologists. Theory falls away, and the languages speak through their interpreters.' Modern Language Review

This book provides a general perspective on valency-changing mechanisms - passives, antipassives, causatives, applicatives - in the languages of the world. It contains a comprehensive typology of causatives by R. M. W. Dixon, and detailed descriptions of valency-changing mechanisms in ten individual languages by leading scholars, based on original fieldwork. The sample languages span five continents and every kind of structural profile. Each contributor draws out the theoretical status and implications of valency-changing derivations in their language of study, and the relevant parameters are drawn together, and typological possibilities delineated, in the editors' introduction. The volume, originally published in 2000, will interest typologists, those working in the fields of morphosyntactic variation and lexical semantics, and exponents of formal theories engaging with the range of linguistic diversity found in natural language.

1. Introduction R. M. W. Dixon and Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald
2. A typology of causatives: Form, syntax and meaning R. M. W. Dixon
3. Valency-changing derivation in Central Alaskan Yup'ik Marianne Mithun
4. Transitivity and valency-changing derivations in Motuna Masayuki Onishi
5. Transitivity in Tariana Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald
6. Voice and valency in the Athapaskan family Keren Rice
7. Valency-changing derivations in K'iche' Lyle Campbell
8. Valency-changing derivations in Dulong/Rawang Randy J. LaPolla
9. Valency-changing and valency-encoding devices in Amharic Mengistu Amberber
10. Complex verb collocations in Ngan'gityemerri: a non-derivational strategy for encoding valency alternations Nicholas Reid
11. Valency-changing derivations in Tsez Bernard Comrie
12. Creek voice: Beyond valency Jack Martin.

Subject Areas: Grammar, syntax & morphology [CFK]