Abstract:
This research studies syntactic and semantic properties of verbs of separation in Thai as well as how they are categorized into distinct categories. From investigating through verbs behavior, the researcher hypothesizes that the crucial factors which are responsible for categorization of the separation verbs are verbs diathesis alternations. It is found that 107 separation verbs in Thai have 8 different alternation patterns which can be categorized into 2 major groups. The first group includes transitivity alternations which are causative/inchoative alternation, patient/goal alternation, passive alternation, resultative alternation, reflexive alternation and middle alternation, while the second group includes alternations that do not affect transitivity and can be found in the verbs describing events with instrument participants which are instrument-subject alternation and instrument-object alternation. Through factor analysis, these verbs alternations can be categorized into 2 components which are the alternations which can be applied with transitive-based verbs and the alternations which can be applied with intransitive-based verbs. Within the alternations which can be applied with transitive-based verbs, the factors which are related to each other are passive alternation, middle alternation, patient/goal alternation, instrument-subject alternation and instrument-object alternation. Within the alternations which can be applied with intransitive-based verbs, the factors which are related to each other are resultative alternation, reflexive alternation and causative/inchoative alternation. When analyzing verbs categorization through these distinct alternation patterns, it is found that verbs of separations can be categorized according to their syntactic behaviors. Firstly, Transitive-based verbs of separation can be categorized into verbs which focus on instruments used, verbs which focus on change of state sub-event, and verbs which express holistic separation events. Secondly, Intransitive-based verbs of separation can be categorized into verbs which express inchoation and stative situation without any agent in the event, and verbs which express stative situation which change of state results from agents action. Lastly, verbs which can be causative/inchoative alternated are categorized into verbs which express an event with instrument, verbs which express an event without instrument.