Universal #1299

Legacy number: 1299

 Number  1295
 Original  Hierarchy of resultative formation:
unobservable > irreversible observable > monovalent reversible > bivalent locational

If a language has one of these semantic subclasses of resultatives, it also has all the subclasses that are to the left of it in the diagram, but not necessarily those which are to the right.
 Standardized  IF there is a bivalent locational resultative, THEN there is a monovalent reversible resultative.
IF there is a monovalent reversible resultative, THEN there is an irreversible observable resultative.
IF there is an irreversible observable resultative, THEN there is an unobservable resultative.
 Formula  unobservable > irreversible observable > monovalent reversible > bivalent locational
 Keywords  diathesis, resultative
 Domain  syntax
 Type  implicational hierarchy
 Status  achronic
 Quality  statistical
 Basis  languages surveyed in Nedjalkov (ed.) 1983, Nedjalkov (ed.) 1988
 Source  Kozinsky 1988: 505

← Back to Universals Archive

Discussion
Notes
Resultatives describing visually perceivable states are OBSERVABLE resultatives (as opposed to UNOBSERVABLE).Resultatives expressing temporary states are REVERSIBLE resultatives (as opposed to resultatives of IRREVERSIBLE states). In the case of reversible resultatives it is assumed that the state expressed can be discontinued. By the BIVALENT LOCATIONAL resultative one of the arguments denotes an object and the other argument specifies its location [e.g. The wine was poured in goblets -> The wine was in the goblets].
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
Resultatives describing visually perceivable states are OBSERVABLE resultatives (as opposed to UNOBSERVABLE). Resultatives expressing temporary states are REVERSIBLE resultatives (as opposed to resultatives of IRREVERSIBLE states). In the case of reversible resultatives it is assumed that the state expressed can be discontinued.
By the BIVALENT LOCATIONAL resultative one of the arguments denotes an object and the other argument specifies its location [e.g. The wine was poured in goblets → The wine was in the goblets].