PACIFIC LINGUISTICS Se�ie� B - No. 48 COVERBS AND CASE IN VIETNAMESE by Marybeth Clark Department of Linguistics Research School of Pacific Studies THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY Clark, M. Coverbs and case in Vietnamese. B-48, xii + 226 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1978. DOI:10.15144/PL-B48.cover ©1978 Pacific Linguistics and/or the author(s). Online edition licensed 2015 CC BY-SA 4.0, with permission of PL. A sealang.net/CRCL initiative. PACIFIC LINGUISTICS is published through the Lingui�tie Ci�ele 06 Canbe��a and consists of four series : SERIES A - OCCAS IONAL PAPERS SERIES B - MONOGRAPHS SERIES C - BOOKS SERIES V - SPECIAL PUB LICATIONS EDITOR: S.A. Wurm. ASSOCIATE EDITORS: D.C. Laycock, C.L. Voorhoeve, D.T. Tryon, T.E. Dutton. EDITORIAL ADVISERS: B. Bender, University of Hawaii N.D. Liem, University of Hawaii D. Bradley, Australian National J. Lynch, University of Papua University New Guinea A. Capell, University of Sydney K.A. McElhanon, University of S. Elbert, University of Hawaii Texas K. Franklin, Summer Institute of H. McKaughan, University of Hawaii Linguistics P. Kdhlhlusler, Technische W.W. Glover, Summer Institute of Universit�t Berlin Linguistics G.N . O'Grady, University of G. Grace, University of Hawaii Victoria, B.C. M. A.K. Halliday, University of Pike, University of Michigan; K. Sydney Summer Institute of Li.nguistics A. Healey, Summer Institute of E.C. Polom�, University of Texas Linguistics E. Uhlenbeck, University of Leiden L. Hercus, Australian National J.W.M. Verhaar, University of University Indonesia, Jakarta ALL CORRESPONDENCE concerning PAC1FI C L1 NGUI ST1 CS , including orders and subscriptions, should be addressed to : The Secretary, PACIFIC LINGUISTICS, Department of Linguistics, School of Pacific Studies, The Australian National University, Box 4, P.O., Canberra, A.C.T. 2600. Australia. Copyright (§) Marybeth Clark . First published 1978 . The editors are indebted to the Australian National University for he lp in the product ion of thi s series . Th is publication was made possible by an initial grant from the Hunter Do uglas Fund . 7 National Library of Australia Card Number and ISBN 0 85883 162 PREFACE My interest in the Vietnamese language stems from a five-and-one­ hal f-year residence in Viet-Nam , two -and-one-half in Saigon and three in Hue . During this time , Vietnamese people of all ages and walks of life warmly shared with me their language and culture , the ir food and their homes , the ir love , the ir laughter , their hurt . Out of this very personal experience and a happy attachment to linguistic research , this dry and impersonal treatise was conceived . When the work was first undertaken, it was my intention to confine my investigation to the functions of the Vietnamese co verb cho, which seem to be several and complex . However , it was necessary first to look at the problems of coverbs in general , and these investigat ions made it clear that the problems of coverbs needed broad interpretation before specific problems of cho could be examined with any understanding. Thus , this work is intended to be that broad interpretation. The work is presented here exactly as it was pre sented to the Gradu­ ate Division of the University of Hawaii in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Ph .D. degree in Linguistics in May 1975 . None of the questionable interpretations of data or the many little problems needing clarification have been clarified . None of the theoretical claims have been adjusted to accord with my more recent thinking . In short , all the niggling little inadequacies of a hastily "completed" work remain as they were . Many of the sentences us ed for analysis and as examples were taken from letters received from Vietnamese friends . Needless to say , name s have been changed to protect the ident ity of the correspondent . In Honolulu, I was given direct ass istance by Vietnamese friends . I want especially to express my gratitude to Professor Nguyen Dang Liem, my fr iend , my teacher , and my colleague in the investigation of Vietnamese syntax. Professor Liem gave many hours so that we could examine and analyse Vietnamese sentences together . He also read through several i11 1v PREFACE drafts of the work , making help ful comments . Finally , he was instru­ mental in the publishing of the work . Also very helpful to me in de­ termining the grammaticality of sentences were Mrs Diep Nguyen Dang Liem, Mrs Huong Crumpton , and my dear friend Mrs Ton-nu Kim- Chi , who willingly spent much time helping me and who so often was quick to see and follow the line of my inquiry . In analysing Khmer sentences, I was extremely fortunate in having the help of Madame Saveros Pou (Lewitz) , whose skill as a linguist gives her an excellent perspective on her native language , Khmer . Madame Pou , of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of Paris , was in Honolulu for two months in the spring of 1974 do ing research work . During that period , she gave generously of her limited time to discuss Khmer problems with me . In the summer of 1972 , during a br ief visit to Southern Illinois University , I was also given help in �Imer by Mr Thach Sarun of the Center for Vietnamese Studies . It would be impossible to count the hours or assess the skilled as­ sistance and personal encouragement given to me by my dear friend and graduate col league at the University of Hawaii , Dr Pranee Kullavanij aya , who was on leave from Chulalongkorn Univers ity in Bangkok . We spent many hours together analysing Thai sentences and discussing general syntactic theory . Without her fr iendship and assistance , there would be a big hole where the Thai section now is, as we ll as many smaller ho les throughout the work. Professor Li Ying-Che , of the University of Hawaii , read through and comme nted on the theoret ical sections and the Ch inese chapter . Professor Andrew Pawley , also of the Univers ity of Hawaii , gave me valuab le crit i­ cism on the historical section , resulting in several changes . Finally , but certainly foremost , had it not been for my friend and mentor , Professor Stanley Starosta , it is questionable whether this project would ever have gotten off the ground. And that would have been sad , for I have thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this investigat ion , even the trying frustrations , the overturning of premature convictions , and the arguments with Professor Starosta over theory , mo st of which I lost . Professor Starosta seemed always available for discussion . His insights into syntactic theory , his pioneering efforts in the Lexicase grammatical model , and his deep interest in natural languages, especially those of Southeast As ia , have been invaluable to me in my researches . He read all the many drafts of the work and proved himself many time s over to be a person of excellent patience and humour . Mrs Satoko Lincoln, with care and intelligent critic ism, typed the final copy . PREFACE v It would be a mistake to overlook two people who were instrumental in my getting into linguistics in the first place: Professor Herbert Paper , of the Un iversity of Michigan , who introduced me to th e exciting possibilit ies of linguistics , and Professor Laurence C. Thompson , of the University of Hawaii , who was responsible for my studying linguistics at the Univers ity of Hawaii and who guided me through my first years there . Marybeth Clark Ho no�u�u January 1976 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PJLe.6ac.e. iii List of Charts xi Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Goals 1 1.2 The Languages 3 1.3 Transcriptions Used in This Study 3 1.3.1 Vietnamese Orthography 3 1.3.2 Khmer, Thai, and Mandarin Transcriptions 5 1.4 Sources for Language Data 5 1 .4. 1 Sources for Vietnamese Language 5 1 .4.2 Sources for Khmer Language 5 1.4.3 Sources for Thai Language 6 1 .4.4 Sources for Mandarin Chinese 6 Chapter II: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 2.1 Theoretical Background 7 2.2 Lexicase 8 2 . 2 . 1 The Model 8 2.2.2 Properties of Case Frames 9 2.2.3 Properties of Derivation Rules 11 Chapter III: CASE IN VIETNAMESE 3.0 Introduction 13 3.1 Phrase Structure 13 3.2 Vietnamese Case Relations and Case Forms 14 3.2.0 Introduction 14 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS vii 3.2.1 Case Relations 15 3.2.1 .0 Introduction 15 3.2.1.1 AGENTIVE 17 3.2.1 .2 OBJECTIVE 17 3.2.1 .3 DA'l'IVE 18 3.2.1 .4 LOCATIVE 18 3.2.1 .5 INSTRUMENTAL 18 3.2.1 .6 COMITATIVE 19 3.2.1.7 BENEFACTIVE 19 3.2.1.8 TIME 19 3.2.2 Case Forms 19 3.2.2.0 Characteristics of Case Forms 19 3.2.2.1 The Nominative Case Form : [+NMJ 20 3.2.2.2 The Accusative Case Form : [+ACJ 21 3.2.2.3 The [+oJ Case Form 24 3.2.2.4 The [+LJ Case Form 25 3.2.2.4.1 The Location Sub-CF : [+lcnJ 25 3.2.2.4.2 The Source Sub-CF : [+srcJ 27 3.2.2.4.3 The Goal Sub-CF : [+golJ 29 3.2.2.4.4 The Terminus Sub-CF : [+ter] 31 3.2.2.5 The [ +IJ Case Form 33 3.2.2.6 The [+c] Case Form 33 3.2.2.7 The [+BJ Case Form 34 3.2.3 Locative Relator Nouns 35 3.2.4 Summary of CR and CF Cooccurrences 41 3.3 Classification of Verbs 42 3.3.0 Introduction 42 3.3.1 Basis of Classification 42 3.3.2 [+voluntary] Verbs 43 3.3.3 Semantic Features and Case Frames 43 3.3.4 Inner and Outer Cases 45 3.3.4.1 Inner LOCATIVE and Outer LOCATIVE 45 3.3.4.2 DATIVE and BENEFACTIVE 47 3.3.5 The Verb Classes in Vietnamese 51 3.3.5.1 AGENTIVE-DATIVE Verbs 51 3.3.5.1.1 AGENTlVE-DATIVE-Goa1 Verbs 51 3.3.5.1.2 AGENTlVE-DATlVE-Source Verbs 56 3.3.5.2 AGENTlVE-LOCATlVE Verbs 59 3.3.5.2.1 AGENTIVE-LOCATIVE-Goa1 Verbs 59 3.3.5.2.2 AGENTIVE-LOCATlVE-Source Verbs 63 3.3.5.2.3 AGENTIVE-LOCATlVE-Location Verbs 64 3.3.5.3 AGENTlVE Verbs 67 TABLE OF CO NTS viii NTE 3.3.5.4 OBJECTIVE-LOCATIVE-Goal Verbs 68 3.3.5.5 OBJECTIVE-LOCATIVE-Source Verbs 72 3.3.5.