Datives as applicatives

This work investigates dative arguments within a theory of applicative arguments.
The focus is on what dative arguments have in common as a class — well beyond
the most typical datives in ditransitive constructions — and as subcases of applied
arguments, as found in both languages with a rich case system, and languages
without overt case marking.

A typology of applicative constructions that directly associates with dative arguments is developed. The various subtypes of applicatives are derived from a re-
stricted set of structural properties and syntactic-semantic features (the type of
complement of the Appl head, the dynamic/stative nature of its complement, and
the presence/absence of an external argument, and of a verbal head above the applicative).

The various interpretations of applied arguments (e.g., possessors, bene/malefactives, recipients, experiencers, affected, causees) are configurationally derived, and
do not require encoding as part of the denotation of the applicative head beyond the
traditional, minimal notion of Appl as introducing an argument “oriented” towards
its complement. This richness of interpretations sets applied arguments apart from
the narrow range of interpretations for arguments of v/Voice, on the one hand, and
the practically unconstrained interpretations of arguments of lexical verbs/roots,
on the other.