Date:  Wed, 6 Mar 1996 13:36:35 -0600

From:  "Salikoko S. Mufwene" <s-mufwene[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UCHICAGO.EDU>

Subject: Re: why the male member is not referred to as Gertrude



In message Wed, 6 Mar 1996 13:52:32 -0500,

 Ronald Butters <amspeech[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ACPUB.DUKE.EDU> writes:



> I believe that there is a technical term for this: "inalienable

> possession." Some languages mirror the difference, e.g., in French one

> says (as I recall) "Je vais a' laver mes chats" but "Je vais a' me laver

> les mains."



Minor improvement on your examples, Ron. There should be no preposition in

these examples: "Je vais laver mes chats"/"Je vais me laver les mains". Lest

your example is misunderstood, the inalienable possession construction need

not be reflexive, e.g., "J'enleve le manteau/chapeau"

             I take my/the coat/hat off

(The French construction is indeed ambiguous but one of its interpretartion

is with the inalinable possession meaning.)



Sali.

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Salikoko S. Mufwene          s-mufwene[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]uchicago.edu

University of Chicago         312-702-8531

Department of Linguistics       FAX: 312-702-9861

1010 East 59th Street

Chicago, IL 60637

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