Chapter published in:
Verb Valency Changes: Theoretical and typological perspectives
Edited by Albert Álvarez González and Ia Navarro
[Typological Studies in Language 120] 2017
► pp. 194–225

A panorama of valency changing operations in Seri

| SIL International | University of North Dakota

The Seri language displays several valency changing operations, most of which are robustly attested and used. This paper presents a panorama of these operations. Evidence from the morphology, sensitive as it is to transitivity, helps in the consideration of possible analyses. Some of the operations, such as passive, unspecified subject, antipassive (implicit argument type) and causative, are straightforward in their respective analyses, as well as being common cross-linguistically. Other operations, including the impersonal passive of transitive verbs, the age construction, the times construction and the Experiencer subject construction, do not have counterparts in many other languages.

Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Robust valency decreasing operations
    • 2.1Passive (short)
      • 2.1.1Morphology
      • 2.1.2Syntax
      • 2.1.3Semantics
    • 2.2Unspecified subject
    • 2.3Antipassive (implicit argument type)
      • 2.3.1Morphology
      • 2.3.2Syntax
      • 2.3.3Semantics
  • 3.Robust valency increasing operations
    • 3.1Causative
      • 3.1.1Morphology
      • 3.1.2Syntax and semantics
    • 3.2Assistive
      • 3.2.1Morphology
      • 3.2.2Syntax
  • 4.Less robust valency increasing operations
    • 4.1Experiencer subject
      • 4.1.1Morphology
      • 4.1.2Syntax
      • 4.1.3Semantics
    • 4.2A few benefactive verbs
    • 4.3A few more unusual verbs
  • 5.Less robust valency decreasing operations
    • 5.1Sensory verbs without Experiencers
  • 6.Two constructions using number predicates
    • 6.1Age construction (transitive)
    • 6.2Times construction (intransitive)
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 30 September 2017
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.120.08mar
References

References

Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y. & Dixon, Robert M. W.
(eds) 2000 Changing Valency: Case Studies in Transitivity. Cambridge: CUP.Google Scholar
Campbell, Lyle
1997 American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. Oxford: OUP.Google Scholar
Dixon, Robert M. W. & Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y.
2000 Introduction. In Changing Valency: Case Studies in Transitivity, Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald & Robert M. W. Dixon (eds), 1–29. Cambridge: CUP. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Dryer, Matthew S.
1986 Primary objects, secondary objects, and antidative. Language 62: 808–845. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Farrell, Patrick, Marlett, Stephen A. & Perlmutter, David M.
1991 Notions of subjecthood and switch reference: Evidence from Seri. Linguistic Inquiry 22: 431–56.Google Scholar
Finer, Daniel
1985 The Formal Grammar of Switch-reference. New York NY: Garland.Google Scholar
Gerdts, Donna
1990 Revaluation and inheritance in Korean Causative Union. In Studies in Relational Grammar 3, Paul Postal & Brian D. Joseph (eds), 203–246. Chicago IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Harris, Alice C.
1984 Inversion as a rule of universal grammar: Georgian evidence. In Studies in Relational Grammar, David Perlmutter & Carol Rosen (eds), 243–258. Chicago IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Jackendoff, Ray
2002 Foundations of Language: Brain, Meaning, Grammar, Evolution. Oxford: OUP. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Kuular, Klara B.
2007 Reciprocals, sociatives, comitatives, and assistives in Tuvan. In Nedjalkov (ed.), 1163–1229.Google Scholar
Marlett, Stephen A.
1981 The Structure of Seri. PhD dissertation, University of California at San Diego.Google Scholar
Marlett, Stephen A.
1984a Personal and impersonal passives in Seri. In Studies in Relational Grammar, Perlmutter, David & Carol Rosen (eds), 217–239. Chicago IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Marlett, Stephen A.
1984b Switch-reference and subject raising in Seri. In The Syntax of Native American Languages [Syntax and Semantics 16], Eung-Do Cook & Donna Gerdts (eds), 247–268. New York NY: Academic Press.Google Scholar
1990 Person and number inflection in Seri. International Journal of American Linguistics 56: 503–541. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
2002 Reanalysis of passive and negative prefixes in Seri. Linguistic Discovery 1: 1–14. http://​journals​.dartmouth​.edu​/cgi​-bin​/WebObjects​/Journals​.woa​/1​/xmlpage​/1​/document​/261
2005 A typological overview of the Seri language. Linguistic Discovery 3: 54–73. http://​journals​.dartmouth​.edu​/cgi​-bin​/WebObjects​/Journals​.woa​/2​/xmlpage​/1​/article​/282
2008 Denominal verbs in Seri. International Journal of American Linguistics 74: 471–488. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
2010 Semantic and syntactic subcategorization in Seri: Recipients and addressees. In Hypothesis A / Hypothesis B: Linguistic Explorations in Honor of David M. Perlmutter, Donna Gerdts, John Moore & Maria Polinsky (eds), 293–321. Cambridge MA: The MIT Press.Google Scholar
2011 The Seris and the Comcaac: Sifting fact from fiction about the names and relationships. Work Papers of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, University of North Dakota 51: 1–9. http://​arts​-sciences​.und​.edu​/summer​-institute​-of​-linguistics​/work​-papers​/_files​/docs​/2011​-marlett​.pdf
2013 How the blue bottlefly makes smoke: On the presentation of a Seri text. Tlalocan 19: 225–246. http://​www​.iifilologicas​.unam​.mx​/tlalocan​/uploads​/Volumenes​/Tlalocan​_XIX​/08​-Marlett​-Seri​_XIX​.pdf
2015a A typological overview of the Seri language. In Language Isolates, Stefan Georg (ed.), 4. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
2015b Two annotated short Seri texts. SIL-Mexico Branch Electronic Working Papers 19: 1–25.Google Scholar
2016 Cmiique Iitom: The Seri language. Ms, Summer Institute of Linguistics and University of North Dakota. Manuscript. http://​arts​-sciences​.und​.edu​/summer​-institute​-of​-linguistics​/faculty​/work​-in​-progress​.cfm
Marlett, Stephen A., Moreno Herrera, F. Xavier & Herrera Astorga, Genaro G.
2005 Seri. Journal of the International Phonetic Association 35: 117–121. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Martin, Jack B.
2000 Creek voice: Beyond valency. In Changing valency: Case Studies in Transitivity, Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald & Robert M. W. Dixon (eds). Cambridge: CUP. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Montaño Herrera, René & Moreno, Herrera, Francisco, Xavier & Marlett, Stephen A.
2007 Enciclopedia seri. http://​www​.lengamer​.org​/admin​/language​_folders​/seri​/user​_uploaded​_files​/links​/File​/Enciclopedia​/EncicloSeri​.htm
Moser, Mary B. & Marlett, Stephen A.
1998 How rabbit fooled puma: A Seri text. In Studies in American Indian Languages: Description and Theory [University of California Publications in Linguistics 131], Leanne Hinton & Pamela Munro (eds), 117–129. Berkeley CA: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Moser, Mary B. & Marlett, Stephen A.
(compilers) 2010 Comcaac quih yaza quih hant ihiip hac: Diccionario seri-español-inglés, 2nd edn. Mexico City & Hermosillo: Plaza y Valdés Editores & Universidad de Sonora. http://​www​.mexico​.sil​.org​/resources​/archives​/42821
Munro, Pamela
1976 Subject raising, auxiliarization, and predicate raising: The Mojave evidence. International Journal of American Linguistics 42: 99–112. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Nedjalkov, Igorʹ V. & Nedjalkov, Vladimir P.
2007 Reciprocals, sociatives, comitatives, and assistives in Yakut. In Nedjalkov (ed.), 1095–1161.Google Scholar
Nedjalkov, Vladimir P.
(ed.) 2007 Reciprocal Constructions [Typological Studies in Language 71], 5 Vols. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Nedjalkov, Vladimir P., Skribnik, Elena K., Kuzmenkov, Evgenij A. & Yakhontova, Natalija S.
2007 Reciprocal, sociative, and assistive constructions in Buryat and Khalkha-Mongol. In Nedjalkov (ed.), 1281–1348.Google Scholar
O’Meara, Carolyn et al.
2013 Donde Fue Tirado El Pantalón y cómo se llega a esa bahía. Tlalocan 18: 125–140. http://​www​.iifilologicas​.unam​.mx​/tlalocan​/uploads​/Volumenes​/Tlalocan​_XVIII​/08​-OMeara​-Seri​_XVIII​.pdf
Perlmutter, David & Rosen, Carol
(eds) 1984 Studies in Relational Grammar. Chicago IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Polinsky, Maria
2011 Antipassive constructions. In The World Atlas of Language Structures online, Martin Haspelmath, Matthew S. Dryer, David Gil & Bernard Comrie (eds), Ch. 108 . http:/​/wals​.info http://​wals​.info​/chapter​/108
Rosenbaum, Peter
1967 The Grammar of English Predicate Complement Constructions. Cambridge MA: The MIT Press.Google Scholar
Shibatani, Masayoshi & Pardeshi, Prashant
2001 The causative continuum. Kobe Papers in Linguistics 3: 136–177.Google Scholar
Weber, David J.
1989 A Grammar of Huallaga (Huánuco) Quechua [University of California Publications in Linguistics 112]. Berkeley CA: University of California.Google Scholar