Abstract:
This thesis investigates the meanings and functions of the dative case in Turkish by examining its syntactic and semantic properties in relation to the event structure. Specifically, it analyzes how the distinct meanings of dative verbs in Turkish give rise to different argument realization patterns and how constructions in which dative case marked objects appear can be represented in a morphosyntactic frame, in the light of recent research couched within theories of argument and event structure. A three way distinction of non-structural datives in Turkish is proposed based on their syntactic and semantic properties. (i) Core datives appearing in ditransitive constructions, which are datives required by the argument structure of the verb. Syntactic evidence indicates that dative objects of canonical ditransitive verbs are base-generated in two positions; a high possessor and lower spatial goal PP and are associated with a postpositional ditransitive structure. (ii) Dative objects appearing as the sole internal argument of the verb. Verbs with sole dative complements exhibit the properties of Non Core Transitive Verbs (Levin, 1999), whose roots can lexically license a dative DP or PP. (iii) Non-core datives added to the argument structure of a transitive or intransitive predicate, which are neither semantically entailed nor syntactically licensed by the verb. A high applicative structure, as proposed by Pylkkänen (2002), is assumed for non-core datives in Turkish, which can combine with agentive transitive or intransitive events and non-agentive unaccusative events, introduced via high applicative heads, related to the VP as bene-/malefactives, recipients or experiencers.
