Obliqueness, quasi-subjects and transitivity in Baltic and Slavonic

Axel Holvoet | University of Warsaw

The article discusses the subjecthood of datival least-oblique NPs (called ‘subject-like obliques’ in the introduction to this volume) in clauses based on intransitive two-place predicates, mainly with reference to Baltic and Slavonic. The approach in the article crucially invokes the notions of obliqueness hierarchy and case hierarchy. Canonical subjecthood being defined as the pairing of least-oblique status with nominative marking, structures without this canonical pairing are said to show diffuseness of subject properties, datival quasi-subjects occurring alongside demoted intransitive subjects (the parallel of ditransitive structures is invoked). It is argued that obliqueness adjustments, i. e. changes in case marking serving to bring it into accordance with syntactic obliqueness, are the driving force behind changes in case marking and grammatical relations in the constructions under discussion.

Published online: 29 November 2013
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.140.12hol

Cited by

Cited by 7 other publications

Barðdal, Jóhanna & Thórhallur Eythórsson

2018. In Non-Canonically Case-Marked Subjects [Studies in Language Companion Series, 200], ► pp. 257 ff.

Barðdal, Jóhanna, Thórhallur Eythórsson & Tonya Kim Dewey

2019. The alternating predicate puzzle. Constructions and Frames 11:1 ► pp. 107 ff.

Holvoet, Axel

2016. In Argument Realization in Baltic [Valency, Argument Realization and Grammatical Relations in Baltic, 3], ► pp. 83 ff.

Holvoet, Axel & Marta Grzybowska

2014. In Grammatical Relations and their Non-Canonical Encoding in Baltic [Valency, Argument Realization and Grammatical Relations in Baltic, 1], ► pp. 97 ff.

Holvoet, Axel & Nicole Nau

2014. In Grammatical Relations and their Non-Canonical Encoding in Baltic [Valency, Argument Realization and Grammatical Relations in Baltic, 1], ► pp. 1 ff.

Lavine, James E.

2016. In Argument Realization in Baltic [Valency, Argument Realization and Grammatical Relations in Baltic, 3], ► pp. 107 ff.

Seržant, Ilja A.

2016. In Argument Realization in Baltic [Valency, Argument Realization and Grammatical Relations in Baltic, 3], ► pp. 137 ff.

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