I argue that dative arguments have structural meanings, i.e., the meaning of a dative DP can be derived directly from the position in which it is licensed. The challenge for a theory of dative arguments, which form a natural class morphologically, is to explain both what they have in common and how they differ syntactically and semantically. The main source of data is Spanish, where dative arguments can appear with all types of verbs, and can have a wide range of meanings: goal, possessor, source, experiencer, affected object, causee, location, benefactive, malefactive, ethical dative. The overall finding suggests that differences in L2 acquisition patterns are modulated by the presence or absence of relevant features in the L1.ĭatives at Large, Cuervo 2003, MIT This dissertation is a study of the syntactic and semantic properties of dative arguments. The results support featural L2 learning however, the results also show that English learners had more difficulties than Spanish learners in interpreting the target structures, which goes against certain predictions of the FRA. Thirteen advanced English learners, twenty-three advanced Spanish learners, and a control group of native Russian speakers completed Grammaticality Judgement and Semantic Judgement tasks. According to FRA, L2 learners contrast feature configurations from their native grammars with those of the L2, and analyze them by selecting, assembling and mapping the new feature configurations onto appropriate L2 items. Acquisition is also proposed to be understood based on features, in particular on feature re/assembly, as advanced by Lardiere (2009) in her Feature Reassembly Approach (FRA). A feature-based approach is then taken to delineate the differences between Russian applicative experiencers and their equivalents in English and Spanish, the two background languages of the participants in our studies. Applicative experiencers are thus argued to manifest yet another type of Russian applicative argument in addition to other previously identified applicatives (Markman 2007).
These experiencers are proposed to be arguments of a Super High Applicative head.
If the verb surfaces in its active form, the nominative argument merges as an experiencer with psych verbs or an agent with activity verbs however, if the verb surfaces in its impersonal (non-active) form, this gives rise to a dative experiencer with both types of verbs, which renders these structures interpretationally intricate. Applicative experiencers appear with impersonal constructions based on psychological (psych) or activity predicates in Russian. This thesis explores the topic of second language (L2) acquisition of Russian applicative experiencers by English and Spanish learners.
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