THE ORIGINS OF PREFERRED ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

摘要

The author presents a reexamination of the origins of Preferred Argument Structure (DuBois 1987, 2002). Conversation data from English are provided, which contradict theputative cognitive motivations of PAS suggested in the literature. The distribution al tend encies in the data examined suggest that PAS is epiphenomal and due to extra-linguistic factors that could be construed to predate language. Since ligatures betweenPAS and the evolution of case have been noted in the literature (e.g. Jager 2007), it issuggested that the motivations for PAS merit further investigation. Finally, it is noted thatthe data presented reflect another plausible motivation, along with those already found inthe literature, for the typological dominance of nominative-accusative patterns, vis-a-visa bsolutive-ergative ones.