Íslenskt mál og almenn málfræði - 01.01.2002, Síða 106

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Joan Maling
(1997-98). It is shown that to a limited degree, object case in Icelandic is semanti-
cally predictable. Dative can be associated with goal arguments of various kinds,
including recipients, experiencers and beneficiaries; what is more remarkable from a
cross-linguistic perspective is that dative case can also be associated with theme argu-
ments (see also Maling 2001). Dative is also used on the complements of semantical-
ly intransitive verbs, notably verbs denoting heavenly and bodily emissions, and for
cognate objects; the latter use which corresponds to the use of instrumental case in
Slavic.
It is noteworthy that dative associated with certain subclasses of theme argu-
ments, especially nominals that undergo movement, seems to be spreading. This sug-
gests that some dative themes reflect semantic generalizations. This fact is not obvi-
ously compatible with the distinction between thematic and idiosyncratic case as pro-
posed for subjects in Jóhannes G. Jónsson (1997-98), who proposed that idiosyncrat-
ic case, including dative themes and patients, is losing ground in Icelandic, whereas
thematic case is gaining ground.
Appendix: Monotransitive German verbs governing Dative objects
(adapted from G. Helbig and J. Buscha (1987) Deutsche Grammatik, Verlag Enzyklo-
padie Leipzig, pp. 58-59)
abraten ‘dissuade’; absagen ‘refuse s.o.’; ahneln ‘resemble’; angehören ‘belong to’;
anhaften ‘adhere to’; applaudieren ‘applaud’; assistieren ‘assist’; auffallen ‘strike
s.o.’; aufgehen ‘dawn on’; auflauern ‘ambush, lie in wait for’; ausweichen ‘make way
for’; begegnen ‘meet’; behagen ‘please’; beipflichten ‘agree with’; beistehen ‘help’;
beistimmen ‘agree with’; beitreten ‘agree to’; beiwohnen ‘attend’; bekommen ‘agree
with’; belieben ‘please’; bevorstehen ‘approach’; bleiben ‘remain’; danken ‘thank’;
dienen ‘serve’; drohen ‘threaten’; einfallen ‘occur to s.o.’; einleuchten ‘be clear to’;
entfallen ‘escape from’; entfliehen ‘flee from’; entgegengehen ‘go to meet’; entge-
gentreten ‘stand up to’; entgehen ‘escape from’; entkommen ‘get away from’; ent-
laufen ‘run away from’; entrinnen ‘run away from’; entsagen ‘renounce’; entsprechen
meet,comply with’; entstammen ‘descend from’; entwachsen ‘outgrow’; erliegen suc-
cumb to’; erscheinen ‘appear \a'\fehlen ‘lack’\fluchen ‘curse’\folgen ‘follow';from-
men ‘benefit’; gebiihren ‘be due’; gefallen ‘please’; gegeniibersitzen ‘sit opposite’;
gegeniibertreten ‘face’; gehorchen ‘obey’; gehören ‘belong to’; gelingen ‘succeed’;
geniigen ‘satisfy’; geraten ‘prosper for s.o.’; gleichen ‘resemble’; gliicken ‘succeed’;
gratulieren ‘congratulate’; grollen ‘resent, bear ill will towards’; helfen ‘help’;
huldigen ‘pay homage to’; imponieren ‘impress’; kondolieren ‘condole with’; kiindi-
gen ‘give notice to’; lauschen ‘eavesdrop on, listen to’; leichtfallen ‘be easy for’;
liegen Tie before’; missfallen ‘displease’; misslingen ‘fail’; missraten ‘tum out badly
for’; misstrauen ‘mistrust’; munden ‘taste good’; nachblicken ‘gaze after’; nacheifern
emulate’; nacheilen ‘pursue’; nachfahren ‘descend from’; nachgeben ‘yield to’;
nachgehen ‘follow’; nachlaufen ‘run after’; nachschauen ‘gaze after’; nachspiiren
track’; nachstellen Tie in wait for’; nachtrauern ‘moum’; nahen ‘approach’; nutzen