The argument structure of the Latin clause is predominantly expressed according to a nomina-tive/accusative alignment, but several non-canonical constructions are also well attested. The best known examples are the Late Latin accusative-marked subjects, which follow a semantic alignment. This pattern, which is definitely inconsistent with the usual opposition between nominative and accusa-tive, also underlies a number of gender fluctuations in Early Latin. This is demonstrated by some second-declension nouns exhibiting both masculine and neuter forms (e.g.: corius vs corium ‘leather’), whose distribution is constrained to specific syntactico-semantic contexts, and runs parallel to the semantic alignment that is typical of Late Latin. Further analysis also makes it possible to regard these phenomena as case distinctions (nominative vs accusative) rather than gender fluctuations (masculine vs neuter). Thus, a semantically-based coding pattern may be supposed to exist in some domains of Latin grammar ever since the most ancient times.
Gender doublets and semantic alignment in Early Latin
ROVAI, FRANCESCO
2014-01-01
Abstract
The argument structure of the Latin clause is predominantly expressed according to a nomina-tive/accusative alignment, but several non-canonical constructions are also well attested. The best known examples are the Late Latin accusative-marked subjects, which follow a semantic alignment. This pattern, which is definitely inconsistent with the usual opposition between nominative and accusa-tive, also underlies a number of gender fluctuations in Early Latin. This is demonstrated by some second-declension nouns exhibiting both masculine and neuter forms (e.g.: corius vs corium ‘leather’), whose distribution is constrained to specific syntactico-semantic contexts, and runs parallel to the semantic alignment that is typical of Late Latin. Further analysis also makes it possible to regard these phenomena as case distinctions (nominative vs accusative) rather than gender fluctuations (masculine vs neuter). Thus, a semantically-based coding pattern may be supposed to exist in some domains of Latin grammar ever since the most ancient times.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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