LEXICAL PERSPECTIVES ONTRANSITIVITY AND ERGATIVITY CAUSATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS IN ENGLISH -- Editorial page -- Title page -- Copyright page -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- Table of CONTENTS -- PART I. THEORETICAL PREMISES -- CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION -- 1.1 Constructional variation with causative verbs -- 1.2 Structural organization of this book -- 1.2.1 Part I: Theoretical Premises -- 1.2.2 Part II: Case Studies -- 1.3 Theoretical framework -- 1.3.1 Cognitive Grammar -- 1.3.2 Systemic Functional Grammar -- 1.3.3 Generative and Relational Grammar -- 1.4 Empirical methodology -- 1.4.1 Advantages of corpus-based research -- 1.4.2 Corpora consulted -- CHAPTER 2. THE SEMANTICS OF CAUSATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS -- 2.1 Analytical versus lexical causatives -- 2.2 Transitive versus ergative lexical causatives -- 2.2.1 Traditional form-based transitive/ergative typology -- 2.2.2 Langacker's cognitive approach -- 2.2.3 Levin's lexical-semantic approach -- 2.2.4 Davidse's paradigmatic approach -- 2.2.5 Present cognitive lexical-paradigmatic approach -- CHAPTER 3. THE SEMANTICS OF CAUSATIVE VERBS -- 3.1 The structure of lexical categories -- 3.2 The structure of lexical fields -- 3.3 Lexical versus constructional semantics -- 3.4 Conclusions to Part I -- PART II. CASE STUDIES -- CHAPTER 4. LEXICALLY DETERMINED FLEXIBILITY AND CONSTRAINTS -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 A synchronic perspective on constructional constraints -- 4.2.1 Defining the middle construction -- 4.2.2 A lexical-paradigmatic view on the middle construction -- 4.3 A diachronic perspective on constructional flexibility -- 4.3.1 The ergativization of intransitives -- 4.3.2 The ergativization of transitives -- 4.3.3 Complex patterns of paradigm shifts -- 4.4 Conclusions -- CHAPTER 5. THE AGENT-CENTREDNESS OF THE TRANSITIVE PARADIGM -- 5.1 The experiential basis of agentivity.

5.2 Lexical blueprints for agentivity: the MURDER verbs -- 5.2.1 Overview of the MURDER verbs -- 5.2.2 Murder -- 5.2.3 Assassinate -- 5.2.4 Execute -- 5.2.5 Lynch -- 5.2.6 Slay -- 5.2.7 Massacre -- 5.2.8 Butcher and slaughter -- 5.2.10 Causes and Agents -- 5.3 Morphological blueprints for agentivity: agentive nominals -- 5.3.1 The semantic network for -er -- 5.3.2 A lexical-paradigmatic view on -er -- 5.3.3 Summary -- 5.4 Constructional blueprints for agentivity: the objectless transitive -- 5.4.1 A lexical view on the objectless transitive -- 5.4.2 A lexical-paradigmatic view on the objectless transitive -- 5.5 Conclusions -- CHAPTER 6. THE MEDIUM-CENTREDNESS OF THE ERGATIVE PARADIGM -- 6.1 The experiential basis of ergativity -- 6.2 Lexical and constructional convergence in Early Modern English -- 6.3 Lexical and constructional differentiation in Contemporary English -- 6.3.1 Overview of the SUFFOCATE verbs -- 6.3.2 Suffocate -- 6.3.3 Asphyxiate -- 6.3.4 Smother, smoulder, and smore -- 6.3.5 Drown -- 6.3.6 Stifle -- 6.3.7 Strangle and throttle -- 6.3.8 Choke -- 6.3.9 Summary -- 6.4 Transitivity and force-dynamics: phrasal verbs -- 6.4.1 Overview of constructional deviations -- 6.4.2 Choke down -- 6.4.3 Choke back -- 6.4.4 Choke out -- 6.4.5 Choke off -- 6.4.6 Choke up -- 6.4.8 Summary -- 6.5 Conclusions -- CHAPTER 7. COMPLEXITIES OF THE TRANSITIVE-ERGATIVE INTERPLAY -- 7.1 The experiential basis of the transitive/ergative interplay -- 7.2 Lexical and constructional variation in Modern English -- 7.3 Ergativization of abort in Early Modern English -- 7.4 Transitivization of abort in Modern English -- 7.5 Conclusions -- CHAPTER 8. SUMMARY AND EVALUATION -- 8.1 Summary -- 8.2 Evaluation -- 8.2.1 Lexical and constructional inter dependency -- 8.2.2 The cognitive reality of transitivity and ergativity -- 8.3 Further research -- REFERENCES.

DICTIONARIES -- CORPUS REFERENCES -- GLOSSARY -- INDEX OF NAMES -- INDEX OF SUBJECTS.