Analisi comparativa del doppio accusativo latino

Abstract

This paper proposes a comparative analysis of some ditransitive verbs in Latin and English which assign accusative case to both internal arguments (theme and recipient). In English, these verbs also display the possibility to realize the recipient as the object of the preposition to. In the passive, the two constructions behave differently. Whilst in the double accusative construction the subject is the recipient (Mary was given a book), in the prepositional construction the subject is the theme (a book was given to Mary). In Latin, in which the double object construction is generally known to be the only possibility, the tendency to have the recipient as the subject of the double object construction in the passive is confirmed, with the exception of verba rogandi. This exception will be shown to be only apparent and will be reduced to the possibility for verba rogandi to realize the recipient as indirect object in dative case.

Keywords

• ditransitive verbs
• passivization
• comparative analysis
• theme
• recipient