When the benefit is on the fringe

This paper shows that French non-core datives introduced by applicative heads may attach at two different positions above the VP. If the Appl head attaches in the thematic domain, above V but below v, a new event participant is added; we refer to this configuration as the Benefactive Dative Construction. If the Appl head is attached above v, in a non-thematic environment, it does not introduce a new event participant, hence its deficient realization as se, to which configuration we refer as the Coreferential Dative Construction. We provide arguments against a low-applicative analysis (below VP), and show how to distinguish between the two types of applicative constructions (above VP) both semantically and syntactically.

Published online: 30 November 2011
https://doi.org/10.1075/rllt.3.02bon