鄒語三元述語的論元體現

Triadic Encoding in Tsou

本文根據 Levin (1993) 的及物和雙及物變換句型來探討鄒語三元述語的論元體現，主要的研究發現如下：(1) 鄒語沒有雙賓結構──三個論元其中有一個必須以斜格方式出現；(2) 鄒語為一個活用結構發達的語言──三元述語通常出現在活用結構，邊緣性論元如受惠者及工具通常以活用結構來引介，甚至連三元述語的客體也是採活用標記；(3) 鄒語為作格語言──及物句的賓語和不及物句的主語的格位標記相同；(4) 鄒語基本上是一個不對稱賓語的語言──兩個域內論元只有其中一個可以提升；(5) 在三元述語結構裡，來源論元如果沒有提升則必須以屬格方式出現，而非以斜格方式出現。

This paper investigates the grammatical realization of triadic arguments in Tsou in light of Levin’s (1993) English transitive/ditransitive alternations. Major findings include the following: (i) Tsou is a language without double object construction—one of the triadic arguments must be in the oblique case; (ii) Tsou is an applicative-prominent language—triadic events are typically expressed by applicative constructions. Peripheral arguments such as a beneficiary are usually introduced by an applicative affix; even a triadic theme can be applicatively indexed; (iii) Tsou is an ergative language—transitive/applicative objects must align with intransitive agents and occur in the absolutive case; (iv) Tsou is basically an asymmetrical object language—only one of the two internal arguments is eligible for advancement; (v) a triadic source must occur in the genitive case (instead of the oblique case) if it is not advanced.