The Syntax of Norwegian Passive Constructions

189 Pages·1992·13.854 MB·English

by  Tor A. Åfarli

THE SYNTAX OF NORWEGIAN PASSIVE CONSTRUCTIONS
LINGUISTIK AKTUELL
This series provides a platform for studies in the syntax,
semantics, and pragmatics of the Germanic languages
and their historical developments.
The focus of the series is represented by its German title
Linguistik Aktuell (Linguistics Today)
Texts in the series are in English.
Series Editor
Werner Abraham
Germanistisch Instituut
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat 26
9712 EK Groningen
The Netherlands
Advisory Editorial Board
Hans den Besten, University of Amsterdam
Guglielmo Cinque, University of Venice
Günther Grewendorf, J. W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt
Hubert Haider, University of Stuttgart
Lars Hellan, University of Trondheim
Christer Platzack, University of Lund
Ken Safir, State University of New Jersey
Lisa deMena Travis, McGill University
Volume 7
Tor A. Åfarli
The Syntax of Norwegian Passive Constructions
THE SYNTAX
OF NORWEGIAN
PASSIVE CONSTRUCTIONS
by
TOR A. AFARLI
University of Trondheim
JOHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING COMPANY
AMSTERDAM/PHILADELPHIA
1992
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Åfarli, Tor A.
The syntax of Norwegian passive constructions / by Tor A. Åfarli.
p. cm. - (Linguistik aktuell/Linguistics today, ISSN 0166-0829 ; v. 7)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Norwegian language-Passive voice. 2. Norwegian language-Syntax. I. Title. II.
Series: Linguistik aktuell ; Bd. 7.
PD2664.A337 1992
439.8'25~dc20 92-17859
ISBN 90 272 2727 6 (Eur.)/l-55619-225-8 (US) (alk. paper) CIP
© Copyright 1992 - John Benjamins'B.V.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or
any other means, without written permission from the publisher.
John Benjamins Publishing Co. • P.O. Box 75577 • 1070 AN Amsterdam • The Netherlands
John Benjamins North America • 821 Bethlehem Pike • Philadelphia, PA 19118 • USA
Table of Contents
Preface IX
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
1.1 Introduction to GB-syntax 1
1.1.1 Basics 1
1.1.2 Some Specific Questions 3
1.2 Introduction to Passive 6
1.2.1 The Active/Passive Alternation 6
1.2.2 Brief Description of Norwegian Passives 9
1.2.2.1 The Periphrastic Passive 9
1.2.2.2 The S-passive 13
1.2.2.3 The Isomorphism between the two Passive Types 16
1.2.3 Approaches to Passive in GB-syntax 21
1.2.3.1 The Orthodox Analysis 21
1.2.3.2 The New Analysis 24
1.3 Conclusion 26
Notes 26
Chapter 2: Theta-role Assignment in Passives 29
2.1 The Passive Morpheme (PASS) 29
2.1.1 PASS as an Argument of the Verb 29
2.1.2 PASS and Overt Passive Morphology 32
2.1.3 PASS and the External Role 35
2.1.3.1 Previous Analyses within the New Approach 36
2.1.3.2 Conditions on Word-internal Theta-role Assignment 39
2.2 The Agent Phrase 46
2.3 Conclusion 50
Notes 50
VI TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 3: Case Assignment in Passives 53
3.1 Case in the LGB Analysis of Passives 53
3.2 The Notion of Case Transmission and Impersonal Passives 55
3.3 The Assumption that Passive Verbs May Assign Case 60
3.3.1 The Source of Postverbal Case Assignment in Passives 60
3.3.2 Consequences of the Assumption that Passive Verbs Assign Case 63
3.3.2.1 PASS, Case and Visibility 63
3.3.2.2 Case Conflict? 64
3.3.2.3 Burzio's Generalization 67
3.4 The Definiteness Effect 69
3.5 Conclusion 73
Notes 74
Chapter 4: A Comparative Analysis: Norwegian and English Passives 77
4.1 Explanation Related to Theta Properties 77
4.2 Explanation Related to Case Properties 79
4.2.1 PASS and Case 79
4.2.2 Passive from Transitive Verbs 80
4.2.3 Passive from Intransitive Verbs 85
4.2.4 Passive from Ditransitive Verbs 86
4.2.5 Pseudopassives 86
4.3 Ergative Constructions in Norwegian and English 88
4.4 A Note on Agreement in Norwegian and English 91
4.5 Conclusion 97
Notes 98
Chapter 5: Passivization and Ergative Verbs 101
5.1 Ergative Verbs 101
5.1.1 Types of Ergative Verb 101
5.1.2 Passivization Failure with Ergative Verbs 106
5.2 Concealed Ergative Verbs 112
5.2.1 Auxiliary Verbs 113
5.2.2 Copular Verbs 118
5.3 Possible Problems 123
5.3.1 A Note on Psych-verbs 123
5.3.2 Are There Unergative Verbs that Resist Passivization? 125
5.4 Conclusion 130
Notes 130
TABLE OF CONTENTS VII
Chapter 6: Organization of Grammar and Ergative and Passive Constructions 135
6.1 The Scope of Movement in Ergative and Passive Constructions 135
6.2 On the Relation between Lexicon and Syntax 139
6.2.1 Argument Structure and Theta-role Assignment 139
6.2.2 Projection from Lexicon to Syntax 143
6.2.3 Double Object Constructions 149
6.3 Analysis of the Ergative/Passive Asymmetry 152
6.3.1 Analysis of Ergative Constructions 152
6.3.2 Analysis of Passive Constructions 156
6.3.3 Levels of Grammar 159
6.3.4 The Status of the Projection Principle 161
6.4 Conclusion 165
Notes 166
References 169
Subject Index 175

Preface
This is primarily a book about the syntax of Norwegian passive constructions and
more indirectly about the passive phenomenon in general. Related topics such as
English passive constructions and Norwegian ergative constructions are also exam
ined. The analyses are carried out within a Government and Binding (GB)
framework (see e.g. Chomsky 1981 or Chomsky 1986a).
I think it is sensible to approach the passive phenomenon by way of Norwe
gian. The angle from which you walk into a landscape is decisive for your
impression of it, but there is also a bird-eye's view. As far as the landscape of
passives is concerned, it seems to me that the route from Norwegian provides an
easier access to the bird-eye's view than the route from English, which was the
point of departure for the first influential passive analyses within the GB
framework.
The following provides an overview of the contents of this book. Chapter
one contains a very brief introduction to GB syntax, as well as an introduction to the
passive phenomenon itself, its manifestation in Norwegian, and its possible analysis
within a GB framework. The passive analysis proposed by Chomsky (1981) (here
called the "orthodox" analysis) is contrasted with an analysis that incorporates the
thesis that "the passive morpheme" is an argument of the verb (see Jaeggli 1986,
Roberts 1987, Baker 1988, or Baker, Johnson, and Roberts 1989). It is argued that
the latter analysis (called the "new" analysis) should be preferred to the former. In
fact, the whole book can be seen as an effort to apply the new analysis to Norwegian
passives.
Chapters two and three examine the more basic properties of Norwegian pas
sives, notably properties of Theta-role assignment and Case assignment
respectively. In chapter two, the passive-morpheme-as-argument thesis is examined
in detail, and its explanatory power is demonstrated. In chapter three, it is argued
that the existence of impersonal passives in Norwegian should be explained by the
assumption that passive verbs may assign postverbal Case. "Case transmission" or
"Case transfer" analyses are rejected.
X NORWEGIAN PASSIVE CONSTRUCTIONS
Chapters four, five, and six extend the analysis in different directions.
Chapter four takes English into account and defends a unified analysis of
Norwegian and English passives. Chapter five examines different cases of
passivization failure in Norwegian and concludes that ergativity is quite close to
being both a necessary and sufficient condition for passivization failure. Chapter six
examines an interesting difference as to the scope of movement in passive and
ergative constructions in Norwegian and concludes that there is probably a syntactic
level "beneath" D-structure — a level that collects "subtrees" that subsequently may
be combined to form full D-structure tree representations.
This book is a quite substantially revised version of my doctoral dissertation
(Åfarli 1989b) from the University of Trondheim. I would like to thank the
members of my committee, Lars Hellan, Knut Tarald Taraldsen, and Anders
Holmberg, for their co-operation and attacks. Lars Hellan also deserves special
thanks for being an excellent supervisor. Three other people deserve special
mention, too: Kirsti Koch Christensen, who gave me very useful comments in the
final stages of the work with my dissertation, and my syntactic colleagues Lars
Johnsen and Anneliese Pitz at the University of Trondheim. I also want to mention
The Norwegian Research Council for Science and the Humanities (NAVF), whose
funding made it possible for me to write my dissertation.
At various stages, several persons have commented on or otherwise helped
me with parts of the present work. Beside the persons already mentioned, I would
like to thank Arild Hestvik, Joan Maling, Rita Manzini, Torbjørn Nordgård, Jamal
Ouhalla, Christer Platzack, Ian Roberts, Helge Sandøy, Halldór Sigurosson, and
Maria Luisa Zubizarreta. I have also had the opportunity to present parts of my
work at various conferences and workshops; experiences that always generated
valuable comments.
As my dissertation evolved into a book, four other people have been of in
valuable help. I want to thank Werner Abraham, the editor of the present book
series, for his patience and encouragement. Also, two anonymous referees made
invaluable suggestions that made me completely rewrite quite considerable parts of
the original manuscript. And Sandra Foldvik looked at my English, also paying
attention to what is actually said in the book.
Specific comments to a work is one thing, the setting of the work is another.
I would like to thank my family, the Scandinavian community of linguists, the
people in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Trondheim, and people
in the Department of Phonetics and Linguistics at University College London for
often creating stimulating conditions for work while I was working on my
dissertation. The same applies to people in the Department of Translation Studies at
Agder College, and to people in the Department of Scandinavian Languages and