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Universal 459: HAVE-construction: possessor is marked for subject ⇒ possessee is comitative marked

Posted in Universals Archive

Universal 459: HAVE-construction: possessor is marked for subject ⇒ possessee is comitative marked

Original
The subject-marked possessor of a HAVE-construction implies a comitative-marked possessee.
Standardized
IF in a HAVE-construction the possessor is marked for subject, THEN the possessee is comitative-marked.
Keywords
possession, subject, comitative
Domain
inflection, syntax
Type
implication
Status
achronic
Quality
absolute
Basis
75 languages surveyed in Ultan 1978e
Source
Ultan 1978e: 36
Counterexamples

One Comment

  1. FP
    FP

    In the HAVE-construction the possessor equals the predicate and the possessee equals the subject (for more details see Ultan 1978e: 33-35).I don’t see the point. As I read it, the claim is that constructions like (i) are fine, and those like (ii) are out:(i) I have a cow.(ii) I am with a cow.But what’s wrong with (i); it’s found all over the place?

    1. May 2020

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