Artikel

Causatives in German

In this paper I argue for a unified account of causative constructions in German. The approach rests on assumptions for case assignment and subcategorization which will be independently motivated by an analysis of passive constructions. It will be shown that the difference between standard causatives and what I call causative passives should be analyzed as a special case of optional subcategorization: causative lassen optionally subcategorizes for an external argument of the embedded verb, the non-realization of which leads to a causative passive. The adoption of a (synthetic) passive bare infinitive, as advocated for in the literature, can thus be dispensed with. Instead, causative passive can be shown to function like a combination of causative and passive, thereby creating a "passivelike" structural context.

Language
Deutsch

Subject
Deutsch
Verb
Germanische Sprachen; Deutsch

Event
Geistige Schöpfung
(who)
Gunkel, Lutz
(when)
1999
Event
Veröffentlichung
(who)
Berlin : de Gruyter

URN
urn:nbn:de:bsz:mh39-8226
Last update
06.03.2025, 9:00 AM CET

Data provider

This object is provided by:
Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache - Bibliothek. If you have any questions about the object, please contact the data provider.

Object type

  • Artikel

Associated

  • Gunkel, Lutz
  • Berlin : de Gruyter

Time of origin

  • 1999

Other Objects (12)