Motion event descriptions in Swedish, French, Thai and Telugu: a study in post-Talmian motion event typology

Motion-event typology has moved into a “post-Talmian” terrain of approaches focusing on an open-ended number patterns across languages and constructions. Following proposal to distinguish between four typological clusters, we systematically compared the motion event descriptions in suggested exemplify these clusters: Swedish, French, Thai Telugu, with help elicitation-based study. 20 adult native speakers each language were asked describe 52 events, 38 which translocative. The stimuli varied respect parameters caused/uncaused, bounded/unbounded as well viewpoint from they filmed. analyzed following Holistic Spatial Semantics categories Path, Direction, Region, Landmark, Manner Cause, means expressing these. patterned differently significant ways. In terms Path expression, French lagged behind other languages, but it together Swedish. We demonstrate such criss-crossing patterns, showing that there is no way group thus implying at least distinct prototypes. Further, show different kinds situations, corresponding constructions, need be separately.