Genitives and datives with Ancient Greek three-place predicates

Abstract

Abstract This chapter investigates the behaviour of three-place predicates in Ancient Greek. Three classes of predicates are investigated: taking two accusative arguments, an accusative and a genitive, and an accusative and a dative respectively. Corpus data are used as the basis for a new system of classification, making finer and more accurate distinctions than traditional classifications. Analysis of the data supports the view that the genitive and dative were lexical cases aligned with specific theta-roles. The two cases display parallel, yet non-uniform, behaviour: some, but not all, genitives and datives can alternate with nominatives in passive constructions. While many alternating verbs are prefixed, prefixation is not in itself a good predictor of such alternations, which are more closely correlated with verb semantics and theta-roles. The genitive and dative in such constructions may be described as syntactically active lexical cases.