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Perception verb complements in Akatek, a Mayan language

Perception verb complements in Akatek, a Mayan language

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3. PVCS OF TYPE2 195<br />

(if realized). I will show further below, that the argument order of<br />

causative constructions with transitive <strong>complements</strong> is of greater exibility<br />

than <strong>in</strong>dicated <strong>in</strong> (168).<br />

(168) The structure of a causative construction with a transitive<br />

complement <strong>verb</strong> (Zavala, 1992b):<br />

CV AGT PATi Vtr AGTi PAT<br />

Causative constructions with <strong>in</strong>transitive <strong>complements</strong> are exible<br />

regard<strong>in</strong>g argument order as illustrated <strong>in</strong> (169). Maximally two lexical<br />

arguments can occur <strong>in</strong> causative constructions <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>transitive<br />

<strong>complements</strong>. The causer tends to precede the causee. The <strong>in</strong>transitive<br />

CVC<strong>verb</strong> can occur either directly beh<strong>in</strong>d the CV, between causer and<br />

causee (<strong>in</strong> case they are realized), or at the very end of the construction.<br />

(169) Structures of causative constructions with <strong>in</strong>transitive complement<br />

<strong>verb</strong>s (Zavala, 1992b):<br />

1. CV V<strong>in</strong>tr AGT PATsubj2<br />

2. CV AGT V<strong>in</strong>tr PATsubj2<br />

3. CV AGT PATsubj2 V<strong>in</strong>tr<br />

Example (170) illustrates the di erent possibilities for a causative<br />

construction with the CV jej `force' embedd<strong>in</strong>g the transitive <strong>verb</strong> lo'<br />

`eat'. The su x -on on the complement <strong>verb</strong> is optional (<strong>in</strong>dicated by<br />

round brackets). The CV can take the complement as a third person<br />

argument as shown <strong>in</strong> example (170-a), or it marks the person of the<br />

causee on the CV and still takes the unchanged complement as<strong>in</strong><br />

(170-b).<br />

(170) a. x-;-s-jej<br />

naj ;-<strong>in</strong>-lo'(-on) paat an<br />

PERF-B3-A3-force he B3-A1-eat(-SUF) tortilla CL1s<br />

b. x-<strong>in</strong>-s-jej naj ;-<strong>in</strong>-lo'(-on) paat an<br />

PERF-B1-A3-force he B3-A1-eat(-SUF) tortilla CL1s<br />

`He forced me to eat tortillas.' Zavala (1992b), 317<br />

The causative constructions with a' `put' <strong>in</strong> (171) embed <strong>in</strong>transitive<br />

<strong>complements</strong>. (171-a) does not have any lexically <strong>in</strong>stantiated<br />

arguments, the person of the causee is retrieved from the CV s<strong>in</strong>ce the<br />

type3 complement <strong>verb</strong> is unmarked. (171-b) shows a causative construction<br />

with two lexical third person arguments, ix `she' and naj `he'.<br />

In this case, the type3 complement <strong>verb</strong> is likewise unmarked, but due<br />

to the absence of a clitic, it takes the irrealis su x -oj as is typical for<br />

<strong>in</strong>transitive type3 <strong>complements</strong>.

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