Universal #1491

Legacy number: 1491

 Number  1487
 Original  Noun incorporation is possible for underlying objects only.
 Standardized  Noun incorporation, per movement in syntax (as opposed to lexical compound formation), is possible for underlying objects only.
 Keywords  incorporation, noun, object, patient
 Domain  morphology, syntax
 Type  unconditional
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  languages surveyed in Baker 1988 and Baker 1996
 Source  Baker 1988: ch. 3, Baker 1996: 291

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Discussion
Counterexamples
Mayali (Gunwingguan, Australian) allows the agent argument of unergative verbs to incorporate (Evans 1991: 286), cited in Baker (1996: 332).In Chukchi (Chukchi-Kamchatkan), adjuncts and adverbials are freely incorporable as well as objects (Payne 1993), but see Comments.
Notes
1. Subjects of some intransitive verbs (unaccusative verbs) can be incorporated. Unaccusative verbs take a direct object argument underlyingly. Subjects of unergative verbs (agentive verbs), on the other hand, can never be incorporated. (Baker 1996: 294)2. It has been argued that languages sometimes allow the incorporation of nominals other than patients, such as instruments, locatives (Mithun 1984, see #1212, also Sapir 1911), predicative modifiers (Launey 1981: 167-169), or other kinds of adjuncts (Shibatani 1990, Spencer 1995). Baker (1996: 295), however, assumes that those types are not true instances of movement in the syntax, but rather are cases of N-V compounding formed in the lexicon.3. J. Payne (1993) sees no reason for accepting Spencer’s conclusion that incorporation in Chukchi must be lexical compounding.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
1. Subjects of some intransitive verbs (unaccusative verbs) can be incorporated. Unaccusative verbs take a direct object argument underlyingly. Subjects of unergative verbs (agentive verbs), on the other hand, can never be incorporated. (Baker 1996: 294)

2. It has been argued that languages sometimes allow the incorporation of nominals other than patients, such as instruments, locatives (Mithun 1984, see <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=1212"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">, also Sapir 1911), predicative modifiers (Launey 1981: 167-169), or other kinds of adjuncts (Shibatani 1990, Spencer 1995). Baker 1996: 295, however, assumes that those types are not true instances of movement in the syntax, but rather are cases of N-V compounding formed in the lexicon.

3. J.Payne 1993 sees no reason for accepting Spencer's conclusion that incorporation in Chukchi must be lexical compounding.