Subject autonomy marking in Macro-Tani and the typology of middle voice
Middle voice constructions are generally understood as syntactically detransitivizing and as semantically characterized by a “low degree of event elaboration” (in Kemmer’s terms) involving a relatively affected subject. Middle voice constructions thus characterized have been identified in several Tr...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
De Gruyter
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Linguistics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/ling-2020-0218 |
| _version_ | 1797208544752173056 |
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| author | Post Mark W. Modi Yankee |
| author_facet | Post Mark W. Modi Yankee |
| author_sort | Post Mark W. |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Middle voice constructions are generally understood as syntactically detransitivizing and as semantically characterized by a “low degree of event elaboration” (in Kemmer’s terms) involving a relatively affected subject. Middle voice constructions thus characterized have been identified in several Trans-Himalayan (Sino-Tibetan) languages, in particular by LaPolla. In Macro-Tani languages, we find a seemingly cognate construction with a similar distribution; however, Macro-Tani middle-like constructions are not detransitivizing, and do not mark subject affectedness. Instead, their primary meaning appears to be one of highlighting subject autonomy: a heightened degree of autonomy, volition and/or responsibility over an action on the part of the clause subject. In this article, following an analysis of Macro-Tani subject autonomy marking, we will argue that its similarities to and differences from middle voice marking in other Trans-Himalayan languages is consistent with Zúñiga and Kittilä’s view of middle voice as a “network of meanings,” whose properties derive not from their reflection of a unified underlying cognitive category, but rather from a heterogeneous set of developments from similar diachronic source forms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T09:40:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f4f1222e17404e33af9ac76359380384 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0024-3949 1613-396X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T09:40:30Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Linguistics |
| spelling | doaj.art-f4f1222e17404e33af9ac763593803842024-04-15T07:41:57ZengDe GruyterLinguistics0024-39491613-396X2022-01-0160121523810.1515/ling-2020-0218Subject autonomy marking in Macro-Tani and the typology of middle voicePost Mark W.0Modi Yankee1Department of Linguistics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, AustraliaDepartment of Linguistics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, AustraliaMiddle voice constructions are generally understood as syntactically detransitivizing and as semantically characterized by a “low degree of event elaboration” (in Kemmer’s terms) involving a relatively affected subject. Middle voice constructions thus characterized have been identified in several Trans-Himalayan (Sino-Tibetan) languages, in particular by LaPolla. In Macro-Tani languages, we find a seemingly cognate construction with a similar distribution; however, Macro-Tani middle-like constructions are not detransitivizing, and do not mark subject affectedness. Instead, their primary meaning appears to be one of highlighting subject autonomy: a heightened degree of autonomy, volition and/or responsibility over an action on the part of the clause subject. In this article, following an analysis of Macro-Tani subject autonomy marking, we will argue that its similarities to and differences from middle voice marking in other Trans-Himalayan languages is consistent with Zúñiga and Kittilä’s view of middle voice as a “network of meanings,” whose properties derive not from their reflection of a unified underlying cognitive category, but rather from a heterogeneous set of developments from similar diachronic source forms.https://doi.org/10.1515/ling-2020-0218grammatical relationsmiddle voicesino-tibetan languagestrans-himalayan languagesvoice constructions |
| spellingShingle | Post Mark W. Modi Yankee Subject autonomy marking in Macro-Tani and the typology of middle voice Linguistics grammatical relations middle voice sino-tibetan languages trans-himalayan languages voice constructions |
| title | Subject autonomy marking in Macro-Tani and the typology of middle voice |
| title_full | Subject autonomy marking in Macro-Tani and the typology of middle voice |
| title_fullStr | Subject autonomy marking in Macro-Tani and the typology of middle voice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Subject autonomy marking in Macro-Tani and the typology of middle voice |
| title_short | Subject autonomy marking in Macro-Tani and the typology of middle voice |
| title_sort | subject autonomy marking in macro tani and the typology of middle voice |
| topic | grammatical relations middle voice sino-tibetan languages trans-himalayan languages voice constructions |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1515/ling-2020-0218 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT postmarkw subjectautonomymarkinginmacrotaniandthetypologyofmiddlevoice AT modiyankee subjectautonomymarkinginmacrotaniandthetypologyofmiddlevoice |