Valency reduction in Estonian
Theories of voice based on a model of passivisation such as that exhibited by English tend to characterise valency modifications as primarily a syntactic phenomenon, involving the mapping of semantic roles to non-canonical syntactic argument positions. This dissertation finds such an approach insufficient to account for the observed phenomena in the more complex domain of voice in Estonian. The thesis provides a thorough description of the Estonian voice category, through an in-depth study of four valency-reducing constructions: the impersonal, personal passive, generic apersonal, and anticausative. These all involve semantic and lexical-level changes to the argument structure of a predicate. In order to arrive at a satisfactory theoretical account of voice in Estonian, the analysis must consider semantic and pragmatic information alongside the realignment of syntactic rules linking grammatical functions with argument places. The status of verbal arguments undergoing demotion in valency-changing operations is shown to be crucial to the interpretations that the various constructions give rise to. The thesis establishes a hierarchy of implicit arguments as a key element of these differnces in interpretation.
Vihman, Virve-Anneli
Valency reduction in Estonian. Theories of voice based on a model of passivisation such as that exhibited by English tend to characterise valency modifications as primarily a syntactic phenomenon, involving the mapping of semantic roles to non-canonical syntactic argument positions. This dissertation finds such an approach insufficient to account for the observed phenomena in the more complex domain of voice in Estonian. The thesis provides a thorough description of the Estonian voice category, through an in-depth study of four valency-reducing constructions: the impersonal, personal passive, generic apersonal, and anticausative. These all involve semantic and lexical-level changes to the argument structure of a predicate. In order to arrive at a satisfactory theoretical account of voice in Estonian, the analysis must consider semantic and pragmatic information alongside the realignment of syntactic rules linking grammatical functions with argument places. The status of verbal arguments undergoing demotion in valency-changing operations is shown to be crucial to the interpretations that the various constructions give rise to. The thesis establishes a hierarchy of implicit arguments as a key element of these differnces in interpretation.
reduction estonian theories voice base model exhibit english tend characterise modification primarily syntactic_phenomenon involve map semantic_role non canonical syntactic argument position find insufficient account observe phenomenon complex domain voice estonian provide thorough description estonian voice category depth_study construction impersonal personal passive generic involve semantic lexical_level change argument_structure predicate order arrive satisfactory theoretical_account voice estonian analysis must_consider semantic_pragmatic information alongside syntactic_rule link grammatical_function argument place status verbal argument undergo changing operation show crucial interpretation various construction give_rise establishes hierarchy implicit argument key_element interpretation