Difference between revisions of "Valence (definition)"

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:''3) Jones gave the cheese to the mouse.''
 
:''3) Jones gave the cheese to the mouse.''
  
Although ''the mouse'' in (3) looks superficially like an object of a preposition (and therefore an [[Oblique|oblique]] or non-core argument), it is in fact a core argument (an [[Indirect Object (definition)|indirect object]]) of the verb ''give''. We can tell because eliminating the argument makes the sentence ungrammatical (4).
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Although ''the mouse'' in (3) looks superficially like an object of a preposition (and therefore an [[Oblique (definition)|oblique]] or non-core argument), it is in fact a core argument (an [[Indirect Object (definition)|indirect object]]) of the verb ''give''.  
 
 
:''4) *Jones gave the cheese.''
 
  
 
While valence is conceived as a property of verbs (and therefore is lexically determined), human languages have a wide variety of [[Valence Changing Operation (definition)|valence changing operations]] by which valence can be increased or decreased. [[Passive voice (definition)|Passive voice]], for instance, is one example of an "operation" which decreases the valence of a given verb.
 
While valence is conceived as a property of verbs (and therefore is lexically determined), human languages have a wide variety of [[Valence Changing Operation (definition)|valence changing operations]] by which valence can be increased or decreased. [[Passive voice (definition)|Passive voice]], for instance, is one example of an "operation" which decreases the valence of a given verb.

Revision as of 15:22, 12 July 2009

Valence (also called "valency") is a property of verbs. It indicates the number of arguments a verb requires to make a clause (not counting optionally expressed non-core arguments). Valence is roughly equivalent to the traditional concept of transitivity.

(1) contains a verb with a valence of 1 (sometimes called univalent or intransitive), (2) a verb with valence of 2 (divalent or transitive), and (3) a verb with valence of 3 (trivalent or ditransitive).

1) Jones snored.
2) Smith bewildered the pedestrians.
3) Jones gave the cheese to the mouse.

Although the mouse in (3) looks superficially like an object of a preposition (and therefore an oblique or non-core argument), it is in fact a core argument (an indirect object) of the verb give.

While valence is conceived as a property of verbs (and therefore is lexically determined), human languages have a wide variety of valence changing operations by which valence can be increased or decreased. Passive voice, for instance, is one example of an "operation" which decreases the valence of a given verb.


See Also

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