the middle voice option

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MrPedantic  #512058  Sat, 10 May 08 12:40 PM
I agree that the various terms are difficult to disentangle. I see the relevant taxonomy as something like this:

[S = subject, O = object, T = transitive, IN = intransitive.]

A. Not Ambitransitive

Type (i): used only intransitively

(a) past participle = adj:

1a. The plate fell (unaccusative)
1b. The fallen plate
1c. *The plate was fallen
1d. *He falls the plate

(b) past participle not = adj:

2a. The man died (unaccusative)
2b. *The died man
2c. *The man was died
2d. *He dies the man

Type (ii): transitive use sounds odd or humorous

3a. The colleague resigned (unergative)
3b. ?The resigned colleague
3c. ?The colleague was resigned
3d. ?He resigns the colleague

B. Ambitransitive (may be used in T and IN)

Type (i): Common ambitransitives (S in IN is agent and remains so in T)

4a. I understood (unergative)
4b. I understood your presentation
4c. Your presentation was understood
4d. *Your presentation understood
4e. ?The understood presentation

Type (ii): Alternating ambitransitives (S in the T is agent; in the IN, O becomes S-patient)

5a. He broke the plate
5b. The plate broke (anticausative, ergative, unaccusative)
5c. The plate was broken
5d. The broken plate
5e. The plate broke easily (anticausative, ergative, unaccusative)

Type (iii): Ambiguous ambitransitives ("common", but may become "alternating" with adverb)

6a. I read till midnight
6b. I read your book
6c. The book was read
6d. *The book read
6e. ?The read book
6f. The book read well ( = alternating, like 5e)

Type (iv): Pseudo-alternating ambitransitives (S in the T is agent; in the IN, O seems to become S-agent)

7a. He moved the plate
7b. ?The moved plate
7c. The plate was moved
7d. The plate moved (pseudo-ergative)
 
_____________________________

"Middle voice" would seem to be used for ambitransitive types (ii) and (iv), and for the alternating usages of (iii). 

As for "ergative", etc., I wonder whether it would help to talk about "ergative, etc. structures", rather than "ergative, etc. verbs".

MrP

  
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Avangi  #512108  Sat, 10 May 08 03:55 PM

Thank you, MrP.  I shall spend the weekend, at least, trying to digest what you've written.  (Old dogs, you know.)    - A.

  
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MrPedantic  #512115  Sat, 10 May 08 04:22 PM
Let me know if you find out what it means.

By the way, I should have said – for "unaccusative", etc., I've tried to make use of the definitions on Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Verb_types
  
Forbes  #512184  Sat, 10 May 08 08:49 PM

Pseudo-alternating ambitransitives

Yes! Yes! Yes! Give me more!

  
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Clive  #512187  Sat, 10 May 08 09:04 PM

Hi,

I think one of the people I met at a party last Saturday was an ambitransitive.Smile

Best wishes, Clive

  
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Forbes  #512195  Sat, 10 May 08 10:09 PM

Clive

I think one of the people I met at a party last Saturday was an ambitransitive.Smile

I'm definitely not ambitransitive and dine at the other end of the table.

  
MrPedantic  #512215  Sun, 11 May 08 12:16 AM
I think it's better to be unaccusative about these things.
  
CalifJim  #513893  Thu, 15 May 08 08:30 AM
MrPedantic
I see the relevant taxonomy as something like this: .......
Thank you.

I'm having the whole taxonomy made into a refrigerator magnet.

I hope that will help.

CJ 

  
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Avangi  #513914  Thu, 15 May 08 10:21 AM

Don't forget the EF logo.

  
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