Universal #460

Legacy number: 460

 Number  459
 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.
 Formula  HAVE-construction: possessor is marked for subject ⇒ 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

← Back to Universals Archive

Discussion
Notes
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?
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
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?