An ergative analysis of French valency alternations

The French anticausative is attested in two separate constructions: one focuses on the result (Res-AC), e.g. Le rameau s’est flétri; the second focuses on the process (Proc-AC) – Le rameau a flétri, both translated to English as ‘The branch withered’. The paper proposes to explain the differences between the two constructions as follows. Res-AC results from the merge of se under non-active Voice, coupled with the absence of a vP projection, whereas Proc-AC results from the use of active Voice with a v projection lacking a specifier. Anticausative derivations from typologically distinct languages, Hebrew and Neo-Aramaic (an ergative language) provide support for the analysis. In these languages, the merge of v is overtly detectable, whether or not v has a specifier. In Hebrew this is indicated by a dative reflexive clitic, and in Neo-Aramaic, by ergative agreement. The analysis proposed for French extends naturally to these languages, providing support for it.

Published online: 30 November 2011
https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.318.09dor