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Article published In:
Studies in Language
Vol. 46:2 (2022) ► pp.352–375

A typology of Goal-Source marking in transfer events

ORCID logo | University of Helsinki

This paper discusses the coding of Goals and Sources from a cross-linguistic perspective and proposes a formal-functional typology based on how animacy and direction affect their coding. The proposed typology comprises three types; Goal vs. Source-languages, animacy and direction-languages, and variable types. The paper shows that the coding of Goals and Sources is primarily conditioned by their semantic roles (by the direction of transfer/motion), but animacy makes an important contribution in some languages as well. Moreover, the paper will also show that animacy affects the coding of Goals more drastically than it affects the coding of Sources. Goals and Sources differ from each other also in that Goals are more often coded by cases, while Sources are usually more peripheral participants and they are thus often marked by adpositions. One of the proposed reasons for this is found in the goal-oriented nature of humans.

Keywords: animacy, argument marking, goal, source, typology
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Defining the roles
  • 3.The typology
    • 3.1Goal vs. Source-languages (GA = GI ≠ SA = SI)
    • 3.2Animacy-based types
      • 3.2.1Pure animacy-type (GA=SA≠GI=SI)
      • 3.2.2Animacy and affectedness-type (GA = SA ≠ GI ≠ SI)
      • 3.2.3Animacy and direction-type (GA ≠ SA ≠ GI ≠ SI)
    • 3.3Variable types
      • 3.3.1Variable Goal marking-type (GA ≠ GI ≠ SA = SI)
      • 3.3.2Variable Source marking-type (GA = GI ≠ SA ≠ SI)
  • 4.Theoretical implications
  • 5.Summary
  • Abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 16 July 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.20020.kit
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