Non-prototypical anticausatives in Classical Latin: the relevance of semantic roles in the selection of the three anticausative strategies

Abstract

This paper discusses the relevance of semantic roles for the syntax of detransitivization in Classical Latin. In verbs entering the causal-noncausal alternation (e.g. John opens the door  ∼  The door opens ), the subject of the causal alternant is semantically flexible and bears the semantic role of Effector, which can be realized as an Agent, Instrument, or Force. Whereas prototypical passives imply the presence of an external Agent, and the prototypical anticausative its absence, detransitivization with a Force is arguably a non-prototypical instance of both diatheses. This paper argues that the selection of the three anticausative strategies, i.e. the mediopassive, reflexive, and labile strategies, depends on the presence or absence of an external Force. Through a statistical analysis of Classical Latin data, this paper shows that the mediopassive strategy is more likely to occur with an external Force, and that the labile strategy mainly spreads to prototypical anticausatives. The reflexive strategy is never attested with an external Force, and therefore denotes exclusively internal causation, where the Effector and the Patient are coreferential.