Rules and construction effects in learning the argument structure of verbs

Abstract

A B S T R A C TTheorists of language acquisition have long debated the means by which children learn the argument structure of verbs (e.g. Bowerman, 1974Bowerman, , 1990Pinker, 1984Pinker, , 1989Tomasello, 1992). Central to this controversy has been the possible role of verb semantics, especially in learning which verbs undergo dative-shift alternation in languages like English. The learning problem is somewhat simplified in Bantu double object constructions, where all applicative verbs show the same order of postverbal objects. However, Bantu languages differ as to what that order is, some placing the benefactive argument first, and others placing the animate argument first. Learning the language-specific word-order restrictions on Bantu double object applicative constructions is therefore more akin

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