Secundative language
Encyclopedia
A secundative language is a language in which the indirect objects of ditransitive verb
s are treated like the direct objects of monotransitive verb
s. This language type was called dechticaetiative in an article by Edward L. Blansitt, Jr., but that term did not catch on. Secundative languages contrast with indirective languages where then indirect object is treated in a special way.
Ditransitive verbs have two arguments other than the subject: a theme that undergoes the action and a recipient that receives the theme (see thematic role
). In a secundative language, the recipient of a ditransitive verb is treated in the same way as the single object of a monotransitive verb, and this syntactic category is called primary object. The patient of a ditransitive verb is treated separately and called secondary object.
A language need not be entirely secundative in its structure. English
is primarily indirective, as in the sentence The girl gave money to the boy. However, it has some verbs that work differently, e.g. provide (The project provides young people with work, where the recipient argument is treated like the monotransitive direct object).
Ditransitive verb
In grammar, a ditransitive verb is a verb which takes a subject and two objects which refer to a recipient and a theme. According to certain linguistics considerations, these objects may be called direct and indirect, or primary and secondary...
s are treated like the direct objects of monotransitive verb
Monotransitive verb
A monotransitive verb is a verb that takes two arguments: a subject and a single direct object. For example, the verbs buy, bite, break, and eat are monotransitive in English.Verbs are categorized in terms of transitivity A monotransitive verb is a verb that takes two arguments: a subject and a...
s. This language type was called dechticaetiative in an article by Edward L. Blansitt, Jr., but that term did not catch on. Secundative languages contrast with indirective languages where then indirect object is treated in a special way.
Ditransitive verbs have two arguments other than the subject: a theme that undergoes the action and a recipient that receives the theme (see thematic role
Thematic role
Thematic role is a linguistic notion, which may refer to:* Theta role * Thematic relation...
). In a secundative language, the recipient of a ditransitive verb is treated in the same way as the single object of a monotransitive verb, and this syntactic category is called primary object. The patient of a ditransitive verb is treated separately and called secondary object.
A language need not be entirely secundative in its structure. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is primarily indirective, as in the sentence The girl gave money to the boy. However, it has some verbs that work differently, e.g. provide (The project provides young people with work, where the recipient argument is treated like the monotransitive direct object).
See also
- Object (grammar)Object (grammar)An object in grammar is part of a sentence, and often part of the predicate. It denotes somebody or something involved in the subject's "performance" of the verb. Basically, it is what or whom the verb is acting upon...
- Dative
- Ergativity
- Ditransitive verbDitransitive verbIn grammar, a ditransitive verb is a verb which takes a subject and two objects which refer to a recipient and a theme. According to certain linguistics considerations, these objects may be called direct and indirect, or primary and secondary...
- Morphosyntactic alignmentMorphosyntactic alignmentIn linguistics, morphosyntactic alignment is the system used to distinguish between the arguments of transitive verbs and those of intransitive verbs...