Transitivity

Transitivity is a category that indicates the number of objects a verb requires or takes in a given instance.

Natural language

In the UNLarium framework, transitivity may assume the following values:

{{#tree:id=nl_TRA|openlevels=0|root=Transitivity (TRA)|

• • intransitive (NTST): no object
    • unergative (NERG): the subject is the agent
    • unaccusative (NACC): the subject is not the agent
  • direct monotransitive (TST): one direct object
  • indirect monotransitive (ITST): one indirect object
  • ditransitive (DTST): one direct object and one indirect object
  • tritransitive (TTST): three objects

}}

In the UNLarium framework, objects are to be considered elliptical (hidden) in verbal constructions if they can be inferred from the context.

I read the book = I read <something> all the afternoon = direct monotransitive (TST) (no significant semantic change)

John kissed Mary = John kisses <someone> well = direct monotransitive (TST) (no significant semantic change)

John bought a car = John buys <something> (and Peter sells <something>) = direct monotransitive (TST) (no significant semantic change)

Different transitivity values mean different senses

In the UNLarium framework, the same verb may have different transitivity values, but only when associated to different UWs:

John lives in Paris = intransitive (NTST) (live = reside)

John lives a nightmare = direct monotransitive (TST) (live = experience)

Objects (essential) are not to be confounded with adjuncts (accidental)

John bought a car to Mary = direct monotransitive (TST) and not ditransitive (DTST)

Examples

• English
  • unergative (NERG) = run (John ran)
  • unaccusative (NACC) = fall (John fell)
  • direct monotransitive (TST) = kiss (John kissed Jane)
  • indirect monotransitive (ITST) = depend (John depend on Jane)
  • ditransitive (DTST) = give (John gave Jane an apple)
  • tritransitive (TTST) = trade (John traded Jane an apple for an orange)
  • ambitransitive (ATST) = eat (John ate or John ate an apple)

UNL

In UNL, transitivity, as a syntactic property, is not to be informed.