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Verb Valency Changes: Theoretical and typological perspectives
Edited by Albert Álvarez González and Ia Navarro
[Typological Studies in Language 120] 2017
► pp. 166–192

Tlachichilco Tepehua

Semantics and function of verb valency change

| SIL InternationalUniversity of North Dakota

Tlachichilco Tepehua, like other Tepehua and Totonacan languages, has a rich system of morphology that modifies verb valency. There are five constructions that affect core arguments of the verb: the dative and causative and the four valency-decreasing constructions ─ passive, antipassive, body-part incorporation, and the decausative. These morphological processes typically affect inherent aspect and lexical semantics or facilitate tracking referents in discourse. The three applicative prefixes, and, in some cases, the dative suffix, license non-core arguments which function as direct arguments of the verb. Syntactically, the applicatives allow non-core arguments to be questioned or relativized. Semantically, their arguments manifest roles that are frame-internal ─ determined by the scene associated with the base verb ─ or frame-external, such as the benefactive.

Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Morphosyntax of verb valency changes
    • 2.1Core arguments
      • 2.1.1Decreasing core arguments
        • 2.1.1.1Antipassive: ‑nVn
        • 2.1.1.2Passive-reflexive: -kan
        • 2.1.1.3Body-part Incorporation
        • 2.1.1.4Decausativization
      • 2.1.2Increasing core arguments
        • 2.1.2.1Dative or indirect object
        • 2.1.2.2Causative
    • 2.2Adjuncts: The periphery
      • 2.2.1Benefactive
      • 2.2.2Comitative
      • 2.2.3Means or Instrumental
      • 2.2.4Direction
  • 3.A frame-semantics interpretation of applicatives
    • 3.1Frame-external readings
    • 3.2Frame-internal readings
  • 4.Syntactic function of verb valency change
  • 5.Final comments and conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 30 September 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.120.07wat
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