Project B11:
Semantic roles, case relations, and cross-clausal reference in Tibetan

Clause types – overview

‡ preferred order, change of position possible: “x‡   ‡y” means that x and y may exchange their position (thus y, x), “(x   y)‡  ‡z” means that the group x, y and z may exchange their position without changing the order within the group (hence z, x, y)

A. Main patterns

0-place predicates

00     

–

–

–

WT: /rgyal/ ‘o.k.’, /rden/ ‘true’, introductory /yot/ ‘once upon the time’

1-place predicates

01     

Abs

–

–

change, motion

2-place predicates

02     

Abs

Abs

–

predication, WT transformation, low transitive verbs

03     

03a 

Abs

~Loc

–

affection, oriented motions, position, change into

03b             

~Loc=top

Abs

–

existence (at a given place)

04     

Abs

Abl

–

get out [–ctr], move away [±ctr]

05     

Abs

Com

–

contact, separation [± ctr]; WT: [–ctr] & cause, media, instrument

06     

Aes

Abs

–

possession, WT: experience, affection

07     

Erg

~Loc

–

directional activity

08     

Erg

Abs

–

non-directional activity, transformation, high transitive verbs

3-place predicates

09     

09a 

Erg

~Loc

Abs

transfer (to R)

09b             

Erg

Abs

~Loc

deposit, transformation into (sgyur, byed)

09c 

~Loc=top

Erg

Abs

WT: drag along (topicalisation of LCT argument necessary)

10     

10a 

Erg

Abl

Abs

take away-type I

10b             

Erg

Abs

Abl

take away-type II

11     

11a 

Erg

Abs

Com

join, mix see, separate, exchange (‘theme’ oriented), fill with

11b             

Erg

Com

Abs

exchange (recipient oriented)

B. Marginal patterns

1-place predicates

12     

Aes/~Loc

–

–

WT: emphasised emotions

13     

Erg/Instr

–

–

some animal sounds; WT: non-focusing use of sense organ, ploughing, harvesting, work fast

2-place predicates

14     

14a 

Abs‡

‡Instr/Gen

WT: [–ctr] events & cause, media, instrument;
CT: fear

14b             

Abs

Gen

–

WT: fill with [–ctr] (Shamskat = 14a borrowed from Kenhat);

15     

15a 

~Loc/Aes

Gen

–

WT: fill into with [–ctr] (Shamskat); CT tshugs

15b             

Aes

Instr/Gen

–

WT: be harmful [–anim]

15c 

–

CT: be damaged [–anim] (thugs)

16     

–

WT: be content, satiated (/tshims/)

17     

Aes/~Loc

~Loc

–

WT: /eloa cha/ 'be forgetful (about sth)' and other mental states; experiencer of 13

18     

Aes

Abl

–

WT: get scolded/beaten (/khoa gerganehane phok/)

19     

Erg

Com

–

WT: press, collocation: divorce

20     

Erg

Instr/Gen

–

CT: collocation: khus ḥdebs, phus ḥdebs, promise (possConstr); WT: non-focused use of sense organ

21     

Erg

Abl

–

CT: directional activity (partitive): drink from; begin with; WT: non-focused  use of sense organ

3-place predicates

22     

Abs

Abs

WT: reflexive transformation (/co/), ‘it’s my beer’

23     

(Abs

Abs‡)‡

‡~Loc

WT: reflexive transformation (/zgyur/) 

24     

Com

WT: collocation: mix with; come into a discussion

25     

Abs

Abl

Abs

WT: motion from, protection 

26     

26a 

Abs

Abl

~Loc

WT: motion from x to y

26b             

Abl

~Loc(‡

‡)Abs

WT: gapping from x to y

26c 

~Loc

Abl(‡

WT: exceptive exist (03b + REL)

27     

Abs

~Loc

~Loc

WT: labour force exchange

28     

28a 

Abs

~Loc

WT: get sth stuck, be left behind, have enough, obtain into; perception through sense organ; experiencer of 03a

28b             

Aes/~Loc

~Loc

Abs

WT: believe; experiencer of 03b

28c 

Aes

Aes

Abs

WT: experiencer of 06

29     

Aes

~Loc

~Loc

WT: be expert (in sth), be in harmony (with), /cikcigika eloa cha/

30     

Aes

Abl‡

‡Abs

WT: obtain from; perception through sense organ

31     

Aes

Abs

Com

WT: sense organ; experiencer of 05

32     

32a 

Aes

Abs

Instr/Gen

WT: have enough for; experiencer of 15a;  

32b             

Aes

Instr/Gen

Abs

WT: sense perception through sense organ

32c 

~Loc

Instr

Abs

CT: x-la y-kyis (medium) luspa med 'be  complete'

33     

33a 

Aes

Abs

Abs

WT: experience as; /ŋo šes/; get more; exper. of 02

33b             

~Loc

Abs

Abs

WT: become more (on a certain place 03b+ RST)

34     

Erg

Abs

Abs

WT: transformation (/co/), estimation, repetition (timeArg); collocation: decide; consider (Kenhat)

35     

Erg

~Loc

~Loc

remember, warn, praise, talk, ask, teach so about

36     

36a 

Erg

Abs‡

‡Instr/Gen

WT: fill with [+ctr], lower price by, be enough by Ken/Sham; OT/CT: collocation: promise

36b             

Erg

Abs

Gen

WT: fill with [+ctr] (Shamskat)

37     

37a 

Erg

~Loc

CT: collocation: promise

37b             

Erg

~Loc

Gen

WT: fill (into), cover (upon) with [+ctr] (Shamskat)

38     

Erg

~Loc‡

‡Abl

WT: protect, focusing use of (sense) organ, directional, chase away

39     

Erg

Com‡

‡~Loc

WT: fill with; touch with organ (/ñuk/) (Kenhat)

4-place (including collocations)

40     

Abl

~Loc

WT: collocation: crawl & SRC/GOAL

41     

Abl

~Loc

WT: go, come from X to Y for work

42     

Abs

Com

~Loc

Abs

WT: colloc.: get into a discussion (Kenhat)

43     

~Loc

~Loc

WT: collocation: believe [+ctr]

44     

~Loc

Abs

Abs

WT: collocation: believe [+ctr]

45     

45a 

Aes

~Loc

WT: experiencer of 21

45b             

Aes

~Loc

Abs

Abs

WT: /rden šes/ 'believe'

45c 

Aes

Aes

Abs

Abs

WT: experiencer of 29a (/ŋo šes/);

46     

46a 

Aes

~Loc

~Loc

Abs

WT: believe so with respect to sth

46b             

Aes

Aes

~Loc

Abs

WT: experiencer of 27b

47     

Erg

(Abl

~Loc‡)‡

‡Abs

WT: transfer from to; exchange / barter

48     

Erg

Abs

Abl

Abs

WT: colloc.: turn back animals (Kenhat)

49     

Erg

~Loc‡

‡Abs‡

‡~Loc

WT: remind, sell for I, collocation: divide, promise, believe (+ctr)

50     

Erg

(Abs

Abs‡)‡

‡~Loc

WT: transfer/put as, sell for II, colloc. invite, /rden šes/ (+ctr)

51     

Erg

WT: establish social relationship between 2 persons

52     

Erg

Abs

WT: exchange / barter

53     

Erg

Com‡

‡(Abs‡

‡~Loc)

WT: exchange / barter

54     

Erg

~Loc

~Loc

WT: write to sb about sth in a letter

55     

Erg

~Loc

CT: promise; WT: fix the price for with, lower the price by

56     

Erg

~Loc

~Loc

Instr/Gen

Not yet attested! OT/CT promise (CONTind)

5-place (collocations)

57     

Erg

~Loc

~Loc

Abs

Abs

WT: lower the price & beneficiary

58     

58a 

Erg

Abl

Abs

~Loc

~Loc

WT: take a bride

58b             

~Loc

(Abl

WT: lower the price

59     

Erg

Abs

Abl

WT: turn back animals

60     

Erg

~Loc

~Loc

WT: lower the price

Erg (coll)

~Loc

Com

Abs

WT: exchange, barter, mix

C. Special contexts:

impersonal constructions (often possessor constructions with first argument)

1-place

–

–

WT; have pain (zer gzer); CT starting with

2-place

62     

Abs

–

hon speech CONTdir

63     

Abl

~Loc

–

hon speech CONTind

3-place

64     

Abl

~Loc

Abs

honorific speech CT CONTdir

65     

Abl

~Loc

~Loc

Not yet attested! honorific speech CT CONTind

4-place