This study shows that Passive Agent markers and Ergative markers do not always realize an unified semantic category of an Agent. The syncretisms present in the semantics of these markers point to the existence of different ways in which we can construe reference to an Initial-Energizer. Certain family traits have been found throughout the book as to what construals are preferred over others. The book was intended as a way to understand the motivation behind the choice of a given marker to express an Agent within a well-defined grammatical context. Palancar believes that the introduction of a...

This monograph deals with grammaticalization of the verb in its early phase. The very productive metaphorical process which is in display in the verb-final languages ofthe Yi-group (Burmese-Lolo languages from south-West China) may be described by the Metaphor "States of affairs are objects". This Metaphor and various other sub-Metaphors are based on the notion of Transfermetaphor and the hierarchie of metaphorical processes. grammaticalization motivated by the above Metaphor happens in the larger framework of PP (Predicate-Predicate) compounds and essentially leads to products lying in the...