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Classroom:LING2208 - Causatives in Norwegian

Revision as of 13:26, 13 May 2015 by Eli Muus (Talk | contribs)

Eli Muus

Norwegian can express causal relations both with causative verbs and with complex causative constructions. The causatives can be grouped based on their syntactic and semantic properties. In the Typecraft text ‘Collection of Norwegian Causatives’ I have grouped the causatives in two main groups: Simplex Causatives and Complex Causatives. Simplex causatives are causative verbs. These verbs all show a causative valence alternation, between a non-causative version and a causative version. When the verb is used in its causative version, it assigns one more thematic role (the causer) than when it is used in its non-causative version. I illustrate:

Non-causative version:

Kaffen koker.
“The coffee is boiling.”
Kaffen
kaffen
coffeeDEF
NMASC
koker
koker
boilPRES
V
.
 
 
PUN


Causative version:

Jeg koker kaffen.
“I boil the coffee.”
jeg
jeg
I1SGNOM
PN
koker
koker
boilPRES
V
kaffen
kaffen
coffeeDEF
NMASC
.
 
 
PUN


The complex causatives are complex constructions where verbs like: ask, make, let and get express the causal relation between the causer and the causee (the causee is not always expressed). I illustrate:

Jeg får ham til å re opp sengen.
“I make him make the bed.”
jeg
jeg
I1SGNOM
PN
får
r
getPRES
V
ham
ham
him3SGMASCACC
PN
til
til
 
PREP
å
å
toINF
COMP
re
re
make
V
opp
opp
up
ADV
sengen
sengen
bedSGDEF
Ncomm
.
 
 
PUN


Both the simplex and complex causatives are further divided into subgroups based on their semantics.


Simplex Causatives

The simplex causatives are divided into three groups based on the properties of the verb: verbs describing position, natural process verbs and inchoative verbs.

The verbs describing position have the following semantic representation: [[causer] cause [theme] to move to [goal]]. I illustrate:

Jeg legger barnet i sengen.
“I lay the child in the bed.”
jeg
jeg
I1SGNOM
PN
legger
legger
layPRES
V
barnet
barnet
childSGDEF
NNEUT
i
i
in
PREP
sengen
sengen
bedSGDEF
Ncomm
.
 
 
PUN


The natural process verbs have the following semantic representation: [[causer] cause [patient] to change from one state to another]. I illustate:

Sola falmer fargene.
“The sun is fading the colours.”
Sola
sola
sunSGDEF
Ncomm
falmer
falmer
fadePRES
V
fargene
fargene
colourPLDEF
NMASC
.
 
 
PUN


The inchoative verbs have the same semantic representation as the natural process verbs ([[causer] cause [patient] to change from one state to another]). I illustrate:

Jeg stopper bilen.
“I stop the car.”
jeg
jeg
I1SGNOM
PN
stopper
stopper
stopPRES
V
bilen
bilen
carSGDEF
NMASC
.
 
 
PUN


Most of the Norwegian causative verbs have the same form when they are used as causative verbs as when they are used as non-causative verbs. However, some of the verbs display a morphological vowel change. This applies to some of the verbs describing position (legger/ligger and setter/sitter) and some of the natural process verbs (feller/faller, dytter/detter and senker/synker). One natural process verb pair is even more different, namely vekker/våkner, but the verbs are clearly related and undergo the same alternation as the rest of the causative verbs.


Complex Causatives

The complex causatives are divided into three groups based on their semantics: causatives with overt causee, causatives without overt causee and embedded causatives without overt causee.

The causatives with overt causee have the following semantic representation: [[causer] cause [causee] to do VP]. I illustrate:

Jeg lar henne ta oppvasken.
“I let her do the dishes.”
jeg
jeg
I1SGNOM
PN
lar
lar
letPRES
V
henne
henne
her3SGFEMACC
PN
ta
ta
takeINF
V
oppvasken
oppvasken
dishesSGDEF
NMASC
.
 
 
PUN


The causatives without overt causee have the following semantic representation: [[causer] cause VP to happen]. I illustrate:

Per fikk reparert bilen.
“Per got the car repaired.”
Per
Per
Per
Np
fikk
fikk
getPAST
V
reparert
reparert
repaired
PTCP
bilen
bilen
carSGDEF
NMASC
.
 
 
PUN


The embedded causatives without overt causee, are, as the name indicates, an embedded variety of the causatives without overt causee, and they have the following semantic representation: [[agent] request [[causer] to cause VP to happen]]. I illustrate:

Jeg ber henne om å få reparert bilen.
“I ask her to get the car repaired.”
Jeg
jeg
I1SGNOM
PN
ber
ber
askPRES
V
henne
henne
her3SGFEMACC
PN
om
om
 
PREP
å
å
to
PRTinf
getINF
V
reparert
reparert
repaired
PTCP
bilen
bilen
carSGDEF
NMASC
.
.
.
PUN


When the causee is not overtly expressed it is understood that someone executes the caused event, even if the sentence does not specify who this is.