Revision as of 17:12, 15 June 2014
FORMAT
|
This article is badly formatted. You can help Glottopedia by improving its formatting. Please do not remove this block until the problem is fixed.
|
REF
|
This article has no reference(s) or source(s). Please remove this block only when the problem is solved.
|
An ambitransitive verb is a verb which can be used either as a transitive verb or intransitive verb without any morphological marking of its valence alternation.
Semantic groups
The main semantic groups of verbs which tend to be labile cross-linguistically are:
1. motion verbs
|
2. destruction verbs
|
3. phasal verbs (Bulgarian zapochvam 'begin')
|
4. sound emission verbs (Russian igrat' 'play', Bulgarian svirja 'play', German spielen 'play', French sonner 'sound, play'
|
Examples
English
Malcolm is reading a book. (read is transitive)
Malcolm is reading. (read is intransitive)
Subtypes
S/A aligned ambitransitive verbs
German
Inge liest ein Buch. |
(transitive lesen has A and P)
|
‘Inge is reading a book.’ |
|
Inge liest |
(intransitive lesen has an agent-like S)
|
‘Inge is reading.’ |
|
*Ein Buch liest. |
(intransitive lesen cannot take a patient-like S)
|
*‘A book is reading.’ |
|
S/P aligned ambitransitive verbs
English
Carl opens the door. (transitive open has A and P)
The door opens. (intransitive open has a patient-like S)
*Carl opens. (intransitive open cannot have an agent-like' S)
Unaligned ambitransitive verbs
German
Dietlind kocht eine Suppe. |
(transitive kochen has A and P)
|
‘Dietlind is cooking a soup.’ |
|
Dietlind kocht. |
(intransitive kochen can have an agent-like S)
|
‘Dietlind is cooking (something).’ |
|
Die Suppe kocht. |
(intransitive kochen can have a patient-like S)
|
‘The soup is being cooked (by somebody).’ |
|