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Applicatives cross-linguistically: Features and distribution
This chapter constitutes an update on the overview chapter on applicative constructions that appeared in the World Atlas of Language Structures (Polinsky 2003, 2013). The update has been possible thanks to the novel empirical material represented in the current handbook and to new descriptive and theoretical work on applicatives that has appeared since the compilation of the original atlas. The chapter includes a static map showing the distribution of main values in applicatives and a link to the corresponding dynamic map. The values reflected in the map include the main semantic roles of the applied object (we distinguish between the beneficiary, as the most common role, and everything else) and transitivity of the base (transitive, intransitive, or both). The most common type of attested applicative constructions is the one where applicatives of different roles are formed from both verbal bases, transitive and intransitive. We also show several values that are unattested. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of current approaches to applicative constructions.