| The markedness principle states that unmarked forms are used for unmarked meanings, while marked meanings are associated with marked forms. This subproject examines the consequences of this principle for the distribution, use, and interpretation of transitive constructions in a sample of languages. In measuring the markedness of transitive constructions, one important issue concerns the lack of compositionality of markedness. To a certain extent markedness will often be a property of the complex itself, dependent on its use and the context in which it occurs. The starting hypothesis of this project is therefore that the markedness of a transitive construction is more (or less!) than the sum of the markedness of its parts. |
