Impersonnal Constructions, Dative and Meta-Informative Structure in Ancient Greek
Transcript of Impersonnal Constructions, Dative and Meta-Informative Structure in Ancient Greek
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WRUT-CELTA Workshop, September 2013IN SEARCH OF THE COMMON GROUND BETWEEN THE DISTRIBUTED GRAMMAR MODEL AND THE
THEORY OF GROUNDING OF MODAL STATEMENTS
Jean-Christophe PitavyParLAnCES (CIEREC) Universit Jean-Monnet, Saint-tienne (France)membre associ de lUMR 5189 HiSoMA (Histoire et Sources des Mondes Antiques)
Impersonal Constructions,
Dative and Meta-Informative Structure inAncient Greek
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nothing personal
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quelques distinctionssome distinctions
impersonalas an inappropriate term
anonymous subjectimpersonnel: sujet syntaxique non exprim, non
identifiable = sujet anonyme(H. W
odarczyk 1994)
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phnomnes atmosphriquesweather expressions
impersonalas an inappropriate term
impersonnel: sujet syntaxique non exprim, non
identifiable = sujet anonyme (H. W
odarczyk 1994)
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phnomnes atmosphriquesweather expressions
franais il pleut, a tonneEnglish it rains, its windy
deutsch es regnet
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phnomnes atmosphriquesweather expressions
grechei
[it] rains
astrptei
[there] is a flash of lightning (Duhoux : 1992)
bront(i) it thunders
nephei
it snows
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phnomnes atmosphriquesweather expressions
No referential subject
No agent
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phnomnes atmosphriquesweather expressions
langues sujet obligatoirenon Pro-drop languages
franais : il pleut, il vente, il fait + Adj.English: it rains, it is + Adj. (cold, hot, chilly),it issnowing
deutsch: es regnet, es blitzt, es donnert, es ist +Adj. (kalt)
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phnomnes atmosphriquesweather expressions
langues sujet obligatoirenon Pro-drop languages
il pleutit rains
Sujet posticheDummy subject
non representative pronoun.
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phnomnes atmosphriquesweather expressions
vrais impersonnels
pronom non restituable, non remplaable
*Elle pleut.Hey, *why are you raining the day I forgot myumbrella ?
*Lui, il pleut.Ilpleut, cest tout ce quilsait faire
it rains, theres nothing else it can do
(lyrics from a song by Brigitte Fontaine)
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phnomnes atmosphriquesweather expressions
Pro-drop Languages: no overt subject pronoun
Latin*is pluit
Italian*lui nevica, *lei pioveSpanish*l llueve
Portuguese*ele chove
Polish*on pada
Modern Greek*() *aft(s) vrhi
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phnomnes atmosphriquesweather expressions
Ancient Greek (Pro-drop)
no unique overt pronoun for 3Sg
deictic pronoum used for identified referent
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phnomnes atmosphriquesweather expressions
Emplois agrammaticauxagrammatical usage
Any verb has a subjecthupokemenon
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phnomnes atmosphriquesweather expressions
Emplois agrammaticauxagrammatical usage
.ei mn o Zes.
Alce, fr. 34Alcaeus, fr. 34
Zeus pleutZeuss raining
hei sphi ho thes hsperka tosi lloisi anthrpoisi
Hrodote, III, 117
Herodotus, III, 117
Le dieu pleut pour
eux comme pour lesautres hommesThe god is raining forthem and for the restof mankind
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phnomnes atmosphriquesweather expressions
Langues avec sujet atmosphriques SNLanguages with NP weather subjects
Russian idt dodrain goes
Polish pada niegsnow falls
Turkish yamur yayorrain rains
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verbes unipersonnelsunipersonal verbs
3Sg only verbsno referential subject
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verbes unipersonnelsunipersonal verbs
rfrence indistincteindistinct reference
(Corblin)French: iland aa pleut
a mouillea dgringole thats tumbling down (itspouring with rain)
a caille thats curdling
its freezing
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verbes unipersonnelsunipersonal verbs
rfrence indistincteindistinct reference
(Corblin)French: iland a
a sent bon ici(*il sent bon)
liter. thats smelling good here
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verbes unipersonnelsunipersonal verbs
rfrence indistincteindistinct reference
(Corblin)a boume ?liter. does it go boom? = Whats up?a commence jaserthats beginning to gossip = People begin toa chahute dans le couloirthats heckling herea ronfle l-dedans thats snoaring in there
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verbes unipersonnelsunipersonal verbs
rfrence indistincteindistinct reference
(Corblin)franais tout le monde, ondeutsch man, es wird (passif)
English one, they3Plpassive voice
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verbes unipersonnelsunipersonal verbs
Pas de rfrence indistincte en grec ancien?No such indistinct reference in Ancient Greek
phs [il] dit = il est dit
[(s)he] says = it is saidincises du discours directquotatives in direct speech
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passif (impersonnel) sans sujet impersonal passive with pro-drop subject
Grec ancien: le sujet du passif est identifiableGreek : subject of such passive forms can be identified
,lgetai d Slna Peisistrtou tn phulakn aitontos,
antilxai Aristote/Aristotle, Const. Ath., XIV, 2 On dit que Solon, quand Pisistrate demanda une garde, sy opposa. it is said moreover that when Peisistratus asked for the guardSolon opposed the request.
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passif (impersonnel) sans sujet impersonal passive with pro-drop subject
Grec ancien: le sujet du passif est identifiableGreek : subject of such passive forms can be identified
homologetai mn gr tn plin hmn arkhaiottnenai
Isocrate/Isocrates, Paneg., XXIII On saccorde [pour dire] que notre cit est la plus ancienne Everyone agrees that we have the oldest city.
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passif (impersonnel) sans sujet impersonal passive with pro-drop subject
sujet = prdicat linfinitifSubject = infinitive predicate
dans la transformation active, devient CI local (objet)active transformation : subject becomes local CoA
,
lgousin d Slna Peisistrtou tn phulakn aitontos,antilxai Ils disent que Solon, quand Pisistrate demanda une garde, syopposa.
They say that when Peisistratus asked for the guard Solono osed the re uest.
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passif (impersonnel) sans sujet impersonal passive with pro-drop subject
Rapport entre ces constructions et les structurescanoniques
Relationship between such impersonal constructionsand canonical structures
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passif (impersonnel) intransitifintransitive impersonal passive
latindicitur [il] est dit on dit [it] is said they say
itur
[il] est all on va [it] is gone people [usually] go
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passif (impersonnel) intransitifintransitive impersonal passive
deutsches wurde viel getanzt il a t beaucoup dans on a beaucoup dans
[it] has been danced a lot people/they danced a lot
es wird nicht gearbeitet werden [il] ne sera pas travaill on ne travaillera pas it] wont be worked people wont work
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passif (impersonnel) intransitifintransitive impersonal passive
turc / Turkish
bu arenada her zaman dvlmtr
Gksel & Kerslake 13.2.4il sest toujours battu lun lautre on sest toujours battu dans cette arne
it has always been fought each otherpeople have always fought [each other] in this arena
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passif (impersonnel) intransitifintransitive impersonal passive
Deprem blgesine gidilmeye allyor
Gksel & Kerslake 24.4.1.4 il est essay dtre all dans la zone du sisme on essaie de rejoindre la zone
it is being tried to be gone in the earthquake area people are trying to reach )
infinitif = complment datif (-me-ye) du verbe essayer
infinitive = dative (-me-ye) object of verb to try
turc / Turkish
f ( ) f
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passif (impersonnel) intransitifintransitive impersonal passive
sumphrei tn trpon toton lgesthai per autn
il est utile que lon parle de cette manire de ces
choses l It is useful to talk about such things in this way
SP (per+ Gn. autn) compl. du verbe passif (lgesthai)PP (per+ Gn. autn) = object of passive verb (lgesthai)
grec ancien?Ancient Greek?
f ( l) f
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passif (impersonnel) intransitifintransitive impersonal passive
What if there is no Nominative subject NP at alland a Dative CoA?
S d f ?
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Sujet au datif ?Did you mean Dative subject?
construction dcentre sur le CI local (datif),pas de sujet au nominatifDecentered constructions with local Dativeparticipant and no overt Nominative subject.
S j d if ?
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Sujet au datif ?Did you mean Dative subject?
Constituant au datif = exprienceurDative constituent = experiencer
S j d if ?
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Sujet au datif ?Did you mean Dative subject?
Tradition grammaticale: sujet , thme, topiqueTraditional grammar: confusion between subject, theme,
topic
S j d if ?
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Sujet au datif ?Did you mean Dative subject?
Boris a froidBoris is cold
Langue logique: on parle du sujet (Boris),
propos duquel on prdique.
In allegedly logical languages, predication is operatedabout a subject (topic = Boris).
S j d if ?
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Sujet au datif ?Did you mean Dative subject?
Boris a froidBoris is cold
Donc Boris = sujet = nominatif
therefore Boris = subject = nominative
S j d if ?
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Sujet au datif ?Did you mean Dative subject?
Boris a froidBoris is cold
In some languages, meta-informative structure =
to-Boris, [it] is cold
Dative subject
cf. eg. Bardal, Smitherman, Bjarnadttir et al. 2012
T d b ( tif ) t i
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Types de verbes (actifs) et exprienceur(Active) verb types & experiencer
smantiquement:,verbes exprimant uneexprience (disposition psychologique, relation delesprit / de la subjectivit situation: apprciation,
valuation, jugement, prise en compte, souci, permission,possibilit, avantage, profit)
morphosyntaxiquement : 3Sg, pas de sujet (nominatif),complment au datif (+ autre complment au gnitif) +
squence (infinitif, proposition)
morpholexicalement : voix active / moyenne, (pas dediathse passive) autorisant transformation active .
T d b ( tif ) t i
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Types de verbes (actifs) et exprienceur(Active) verb types & experiencer
semantically: verbs of experience (mental / subjectivedisposition toward a situation: assessment, judgment, care,concerne, permission, possibility, advantage)
morphosyntactically : 3Sg, no overt subject (nominative), datifobject (+ other Genitive local constituents) +sequence (infinitive, finite verb clause)
morpholexically : active / middle voice (no passive diathesis)allowing active transformation.
l h h d j t d
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la recherche du sujet perduRaiders of the lost subject
A flexible language which can slide from animpersonal construction (experiencer = Dative) to its
equivalent personal construction (experiencer =Nominative).
Infinitive in impersonal constructions = subject?
l h h d j t d
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la recherche du sujet perduRaiders of the lost subject
jai le droit de =Im allowed to =
[m]est permis, possible de + inf.
[to me] is allowed, possible to+ inf.
() xesti moi
verbe tre seul : [il] [m] est to be alone: [it] is [to me]
()stin (moi)
l h h d j t d
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la recherche du sujet perduRaiders of the lost subject
.Lakedaimonois xestin humn phlous gensthai.
(Thucydide(s) IV, 29)
[Il] est permis aux Lacdmoniens dtre vos amis.
[it] is permitted to the Lacedaemonians to be your friends
la recherche d s jet erd
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la recherche du sujet perduRaiders of the lost subject
tre vos amis est permis
[il] est permis dtre vos amis.
To be your friends is permitted it is permitted to be your friends
la recherche du sujet perdu
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la recherche du sujet perduRaiders of the lost subject
je pense que, je dcide de =I think that, I decide to =
[il] me semble [vrai, bon] [It] seems [true, good] to me
doke moi
+ prdicat infinitif / pronom rsomptif de discours+ infinitive predicate / discourse resumptive pronoun
la recherche du sujet perdu
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la recherche du sujet perduRaiders of the lost subject
: [] , ; : .
Skrts : r on ka nomothtai hoi mn kall t [rga] hautnparkhontai, hoi d aiskh ? Kratlos : O moi doke toto ti.
Plato(n), Crat., 429b
Socrate : Est-ce que les lgislateurs font leur travail lun un
mieux, les autres plus mal ? Cratyle : il ne me semble pas.Socrates: Do some lawgmakers produce better, and othersworse works? Cratylus: I do not think so anymore.
la recherche du sujet perdu
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la recherche du sujet perduRaiders of the lost subject
doken =
personal verb meaning to seem, to be likely
xio te hma nomzontes enai ka humn dokontes
Thucydide, I, 76 [nous qui] croyons tre dignes [de cette situation] et vousdonnons cette impression
[we think] we are worthy [of the situation] and we seem this way
to you
la recherche du sujet perdu
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la recherche du sujet perduRaiders of the lost subject
Il semble que vous ayezrussi mintriguer.
*[le fait] que vous ayez
russi semble.
It seems that you succeeded
in puzzling me.
*That you succeeded seems.
la recherche du sujet perdu
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la recherche du sujet perduRaiders of the lost subject
mlei moi+ Gen.
[il] me *soucie de
[it] *cares to me about
moi d tn mn khrmtn ka latton mlei
Plato(n), Theag., 121d je ne me soucie aucunement des dpensesI do not mind so much about the fees
la recherche du sujet perdu
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la recherche du sujet perduRaiders of the lost subject
mlei moi+ Gen.
[il] me *soucie de
[it] *cares to me aboutthusai d ka heorta ka khoro psin mlousin di bou
Plato(n), Leg., 835e toute la vie, tout le monde se proccupe des sacrifices, desftes et des danses the chief occupation of everyone all through life consists insacrifices, feasts and dances
Personnalisation
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Personnalisation Personalization
t n d Krou dlon hti hots khei prs hms hsper
t hmtera prs ekenon (Xenopho(n),Anab., I, 3, 9)Il est clair que Cyrus a exactement avec nous les mmes relationsque nous avec lui.it is clear that the relation of Cyrus to us is precisely the same as
ours to him
[il] est + adj. + que / [it] is + Adj. + thatphanern, dlon manifeste, vident / clear, self-evident
Personnalisation
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Personnalisation Personalization
phanern n hti ho Agslaos mlista tos nmois latren
(Xnopho(n),Agesil., VII)
[il] est + adj. + que + P/ [it] is + Adj. + that + Pphanern, dlon manifeste, vident / clear, self-evident
il tait manifeste quAgsilas tait le meilleur serviteur des lois.Agesilas was clearly a devoted servant of the laws.
Personnalisation
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Personnalisation Personalization
ho Agslaosphaners n mlista tos nmois latren
(Xnopho(n),Agesil., VII)
[il] est + adj. + que / [it] is + Adj. + thatphanern, dlon manifeste, vident / clear, self-evident
littr. Agsilas tait manifeste le meilleur serviteur des lois.liter. Agesilas was clear a devoted servant of the laws.
Structure mta informative
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Structure mta-informativeMeta-informative structure
(/) doke (moi/soi) [il] (me/te) semble
[it] seems (to me/you)
omai/ oei (je) pense / (tu) penses (I/you) think
Structure mta-informative
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Structure mta-informativeMeta-informative structure
hs eg omai
hs emodoke
hs s oei
hs sodoke
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Concluding remarks
Dative constituent
subject (global CoA) = local ; the constructions presented here are not always strictly
impersonal : they are specialized both semantically(experience: affect, judgment, assessment, modalization)
and morphosyntactically (discourse content expressed byinfinitive predicate specific subject) ;
syntax : most of them diachronically result from aninversion of the specific subject (= doubled subject with
unipersonal verbs in French, English, German) Greek as flexible language : diathesis modification, meta-
informative structure maintained for the same CoA, be itsubject (nominative : ego) or object (Dative: emoi).