Valence (linguistic)

The valence is a milked syntactic concerning mainly the Verbe S but also some nouns and adjectives. One names valence of such a term the number of Actant S which it can receive or which it must receive to be saturated , i.e. to provide a grammatically correct Syntagme.

The valence at Tesnière

The theory of the valence especially was developed by the French linguist Lucien Tesnière. In its valencielle terminology, the subject is called premium agent , COD second agent and COI third agent; Tesnière takes again the diagram of the canonical sentence here.

Verbal valence

For example, the verb to sleep is monovalent, it has a valence 1. Indeed, in I sleep , the verb to sleep is syntactically attached only about I .

On the other hand, the verb to eat is bivalent (valence 2). Indeed, one eats something : this verb has a subject and a complement.

As for the verb to give , it is trivalent. Indeed, one gives something to somebody : this verb is attached syntactically on a subject, a COD and a COI.

There exist some quadrivalent French verbs, in particular:

  • the verb to translate : one translates words of a language into another . The verb is attached on a subject, a COD and two COI.
  • the verb to buy : It bought its house to him 50000 euros.

Finally there exist verbs without agent, whose valence is null (or with valence zero): they are the impersonal verbs as it rains , it sale , etc

Valence of the nouns and the adjectives

Valence of the names

August 1st

Valence of the adjectives

Certain adjectives have a nonnull valence, and have a complement called Complément of the adjective: in It is different from me , of me is complement of the different adjective . Certain adjectives do not need a complement to be used, even cannot have some: round , comfortable , idiotic .

To in no case the valence of the adjective modifies the valence of the verb of the sentence.

The complement is introduced by the prepositions with, of, for, against, towards, with in :

  • It is tired of all .

  • It is similar to itself .
  • It is furious against its professor .
  • It is generous towards his/her parents .
  • It is cut for the fight .
  • It is pleasant with everyone.
  • It is strong in Latin.

Essential complements and nonessential complements

The valence of a verb is given once and for all by the direction which is given to him in a dictionary.

Thus, one can attach to the verb to sleep a circumstantial complement ( I sleep in my bed ), it does not remain monovalent about it, because the circumstantial complement is not an essential complement.

Conversely, one can use the verb to translate with only one complement: I translate Polish , within the meaning of “my trade is Polish translator”. The verb to translate does not remain quadrivalent about it, because this quadrivalence is essential for him, even if it is sometimes implied: I translate (texts) of Polish (towards another language) .

Modification of the valence

See also: Transitivity (grammar)

The verb to speak can be monovalent: it speaks , or bivalent, it speaks in Jean (two agents, the subject-actor it and the indirect recipient-object Jean ), with the means a change of the contextual direction , not nuclear, verb. This verb to speak can change valence with an almost unperceivable change of direction. Many verbs change valence with more or less of modification of direction:

For example, the monovalent verb to live becomes bivalent in it saw its life , by restriction of the direction of the verb to live .

Conversely, the trivalent verb to give becomes monovalent by extension of its direction in I already gave .

Lastly, certain verbs cannot change valence without agrammaticality: it is the case of the verbs which bring little information on the situation, like to make : I do something , and not *je make .

All the languages do not allow such changes of valence.

Valence of the attributive verbs

August 1st

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