This essay discusses the into-causative, a rather modern subject in linguistics, and its semantic transitivity. The author argues that by using Hopper and Thompson’s transitivity criteria it is not only possible to analyse the degree of transitivity of the into-causative but also to get insights in which contexts certain transitivity patterns occur.
In order to classify his findings, the author first examines these constructions with respect to Hopper and Thompson’s features of ‘Mode’ and ‘Affirmation’. Afterwards, these features are further classified, and it is shown whether there are features that attract each other, also including the aspect of reflexiveness and voice. As a last step he illustrates the degree of semantic transitivity of the into-causative, using the features analysed in this study.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Semantic Transitivity based on Hopper and Thompson (1980)
3. Transitivity Analyses on other Causative Constructions
4. Lexical Approaches to the into-Causative
5. Data and Method
6. Analysis and Results
6.1 Realis vs Irrealis into-Causatives
6.2 Occurrence of Irrealis features
6.3 Co-Occurrences of Irrealis Features
6.4 Co-Occurrences of Negation + Modal + …
6.5 Overall Co-Occurrences of Detransitivisation Features
7. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Focus
This paper investigates the semantic properties of the into-causative construction in context, specifically examining its degree of semantic transitivity based on Hopper and Thompson’s (1980) model and exploring how various linguistic features co-occur within this construction.
- Analysis of semantic transitivity in into-causatives using Hopper and Thompson’s criteria.
- Investigation of the influence of irrealis features such as mode, negation, and modality.
- Examination of collexeme preferences and their impact on causative meaning.
- Evaluation of co-occurrence patterns between features like negation, modals, reflexives, and passives.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
The into-causative, a rather modern subject in linguistics, raises more and more interest because of its increasing use in language (Davies 2015: 56). Given that this subject has only relatively recently become a prominent topic, it still offers a great field of research. Focus has predominantly been set on the semantic and lexical properties of verbs within this causative. Wulff, Stefanowitsch and Gries (2007), for instance, have shown that causing verbs in into-causatives vary depending on their dialect. While studies like these only focus on one feature of the into-causative, this paper investigates the semantic properties of the whole construction in its context. Given the fact that the idea of causation fosters an image, in which an action takes place (Stefanowitsch 2001: 13), I want to examine to what degree this assumption can be confirmed with respect to the into-causative. Mondorf and Schneider (2016) have shown that the aspect of semantic transitivity can help analysing constructions, which are apparently ordinary in regard to their syntactic transitivity but might have changed their semantic environment due to detransitivisation.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the into-causative construction and outlines the paper's intent to examine its semantic transitivity using Hopper and Thompson's framework.
2. Semantic Transitivity based on Hopper and Thompson (1980): This section explains the chosen theoretical model and how specific transitivity criteria were adapted for the study of causative constructions.
3. Transitivity Analyses on other Causative Constructions: This chapter reviews previous research on other causative types to provide a comparative basis for the current analysis.
4. Lexical Approaches to the into-Causative: This section discusses the role of collexemes and event types in shaping the meaning and behavior of into-causatives.
5. Data and Method: This chapter details the corpus-based methodology, including search strings, genre selection, and the classification criteria used for the analysis.
6. Analysis and Results: The core of the paper presents the findings regarding mode, irrealis features, and the co-occurrence patterns of detransitivisation markers within the into-causative.
7. Conclusion: The paper concludes by summarizing the identified tendencies, noting the high general transitivity of the into-causative and suggesting directions for future research.
Keywords
Semantic Transitivity, into-causative, Hopper and Thompson, Irrealis, Negation, Modals, Collexemes, Corpus Linguistics, Detransitivisation, Reflexiveness, Voice, Causation, Mode, Affirmation, Linguistics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the semantic transitivity of the into-causative construction in English, utilizing a corpus-based approach to analyze its behavior in various linguistic contexts.
Which theoretical framework does the author apply?
The author applies the semantic transitivity model developed by Hopper and Thompson (1980) to interpret the construction's properties.
What is the primary objective of this work?
The objective is to determine the extent to which the into-causative is high in semantic transitivity and to identify in which contexts specific transitivity patterns occur.
Which linguistic categories were used for the analysis?
The analysis focuses on categories such as 'Participants' (reflexiveness, voice), 'Affirmation' (negation), and 'Mode' (modality, questions, other irrealis features).
How were the data for this study collected?
The data were extracted from 2186 sentences taken from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), specifically within the genres of 'fiction' and 'newspaper'.
What are the key findings regarding the into-causative's transitivity?
The study finds that most into-causative constructions are high in semantic transitivity, with only a minority (approximately 33%) appearing in irrealis mode.
How does the usage of verbs like 'fool' and 'talk' differ?
The study reveals that different causative verbs show varying tendencies to attract irrealis features, suggesting that lexical choices influence the semantic environment of the construction.
What role does negation play within these constructions?
Negation is associated with low semantic transitivity and shows a significant tendency to attract other features like modals and reflexives, even if its overall occurrence is relatively rare.
What does the "score method" in chapter 6.5 demonstrate?
The score method provides an overview of detransitivisation, showing that the majority of into-causatives score high on the transitivity scale, with rarer co-occurrences of multiple detransitivisation features.
How do the findings for the into-causative compare to the 'bring-causative'?
Unlike the 'bring-causative', which is restricted to a specific lexical item and often appears in contexts of low transitivity, the into-causative displays a broader lexical field and generally maintains higher semantic transitivity.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2019, Semantic Transitivity in the "Into"-Causative. An Analysis, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1361406
