A diachronic study of the conative alternation construction in english

Esteban-Segura, María Laura; Salles-Bernal, Soluna

Abstract

The conative alternation is a subtype of transitivity alternation in which there is a transitive variant and an intransitive one represented with an at-construction. From a syntactic point of view, it occurs with transitive verbs and is therefore referred to as a case of preposition insertion (the preposition at is inserted before the direct object). From a semantic perspective, it can be described as a “detransitivizing” construction, since there is a contrast between conative uses of transitive verbs and their transitive counterparts (Perek 2015: 90). Accordingly, the argument can be direct (subject, direct object or indirect object) or oblique. (1) a. Kim cut the pie. b. Kim cut at the pie (drunkenly) (Beavers 2006: 6). The patient (“the pie”) can have two realizations: as the direct object (1a) or as an oblique signalled by the preposition at (1b). Here we find a semantic contrast: in the transitive variant the patient is known to have been affected in some way, whereas in the one with the at-construction this is not necessarily the case; thus, the action denoted by the verb may or may not have been completed and the alternation may convey “a reduced a degree of effectiveness” (Riemer 2010: 354), as seen in example (2b) below, which implies that the action was not completely successful: (2) a. The zombies slashed my face. b. The zombies slashed at my face. Although the construction has been studied before (van der Leek [1996], Broccias [2001, 2003], Beavers [2010], Perek and Lemmens [2010], Guerrero-Medina [2011], Perek [2015]), it remains scarcely investigated from a diachronic point of view. Therefore, our main objective is to research on the origin and development of the conative construction in English by looking at its occurrence in several historical corpora. For the purpose, we have first made a comprehensive list of verbs which allow the construction and then selected the verbs under study. A collostructional analysis, which “investigates which lexemes are strongly attracted or repelled by a particular slot in the construction (i.e. occur more frequently or less frequently than expected)” (Stefanowitsch and Gries 2003: 214), has been carried out as it can help to establish which verbs favour the construction over others in the different corpora. Some of our preliminary results show that the construction was already present in Old English and that in most instances the subject is agentive or animate.

A diachronic study of the conative alternation construction in english

Author: Esteban-Segura, María Laura,Salles-Bernal, Soluna

Year: 2017

Source: https://riuma.uma.es/xmlui/bitstream/10630/13794/1/CILC%20Pari%cc%81s.pdf

Es eban-Segu a, Lau a and Salles-Be nal, Soluna
Uni e sidad de Málaga
A Diach onic S udy o he Cona i e Al e na ion Cons uc ion in
English
Keywo ds: cona i e al e na ion; e b al e na ion; his o y o English; collos uc ional
analysis
The cona i e al e na ion is a sub ype o ansi i i y al e na ion in which he e is a
ansi i e a ian and an in ansi i e one ep esen ed wi h an a -cons uc ion. F om a
syn ac ic poin o iew, i occu s wi h ansi i e e bs and is he e o e e e ed o as a
case o p eposi ion inse ion ( he p eposi ion a is inse ed be o e he di ec objec ). F om
a seman ic pe spec i e, i can be desc ibed as a “de ansi i izing” cons uc ion, since he e
is a con as be ween cona i e uses o ansi i e e bs and hei ansi i e coun e pa s
(Pe ek 2015: 90). Acco dingly, he a gumen can be di ec (subjec , di ec objec o
indi ec objec ) o oblique.
(1) a. Kim cu he pie.
b. Kim cu a he pie (d unkenly) (Bea e s 2006: 6).
The pa ien (“ he pie”) can ha e wo ealiza ions: as he di ec objec (1a) o as an
oblique signalled by he p eposi ion a (1b). He e we ind a seman ic con as : in he
ansi i e a ian he pa ien is known o ha e been a ec ed in some way, whe eas in he
one wi h he a -cons uc ion his is no necessa ily he case; hus, he ac ion deno ed by
he e b may o may no ha e been comple ed and he al e na ion may con ey “a educed
a deg ee o e ec i eness” (Rieme 2010: 354), as seen in example (2b) below, which
implies ha he ac ion was no comple ely success ul:
(2) a. The zombies slashed my ace.
b. The zombies slashed a my ace.
Al hough he cons uc ion has been s udied be o e ( an de Leek [1996], B occias
[2001, 2003], Bea e s [2010], Pe ek and Lemmens [2010], Gue e o-Medina [2011],
Pe ek [2015]), i emains sca cely in es iga ed om a diach onic poin o iew.
The e o e, ou main objec i e is o esea ch on he o igin and de elopmen o he cona i e
cons uc ion in English by looking a i s occu ence in se e al his o ical co po a. Fo he
pu pose, we ha e i s made a comp ehensi e lis o e bs which allow he cons uc ion
and hen selec ed he e bs unde s udy. A collos uc ional analysis, which “in es iga es
which lexemes a e s ongly a ac ed o epelled by a pa icula slo in he cons uc ion
(i.e. occu mo e equen ly o less equen ly han expec ed)” (S e anowi sch and G ies
2003: 214), has been ca ied ou as i can help o es ablish which e bs a ou he
cons uc ion o e o he s in he di e en co po a. Some o ou p elimina y esul s show
ha he cons uc ion was al eady p esen in Old English and ha in mos ins ances he
subjec is agen i e o anima e.
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