page_title: Burzio's generalization
section_title: Optimality Theory
hierarchical_section_title: Burzio's generalization / Alternative Analyses / Optimality Theory
caption_attribution_description: Optimality Theory and Case Assignment
context_page_description: In generative linguistics, Burzio's generalization is the observation that a verb can assign a theta role to its subject position if and only if it can assign an accusative case to its object. Accordingly, if a verb does not assign a theta role to its subject, then it does not assign accusative case to its object. The generalization is named after Italian linguist Luigi Burzio, based on work published in the 1980s, but the seeds of the idea are found in earlier scholarship. The generalization can be logically written in the following equation:
  θ ↔ A
  Where: θ = Subject Theta Role
  A = Accusative Case
  Burzio’s generalization has two major consequences:
  Burzio's generalization recognizes two classes of intransitive verbs. With unaccusative intransitive verbs, the single argument bears the theme theta role, and the subject is understood as the undergoer of the action. For example, in the sentence Emily fell, the subject Emily undergoes the action of falling. With unergative intransitive verbs, the single argument bears the agent theta role and is understood as the doer of the action. For example, in the sentence Emily laughed, the subject Emily performs the action.
context_section_description: Burzio's Generalization can be proven with ranked and inviolable interacting constraints based on Optimality Theory. Markedness and Faithfulness constraints are ranked to select an optimal candidate.  In an optimality-theory (OT) style of analysis, the argument of an ergative intransitive verb can potentially be assigned either nominative (NOM) or accusative case (ACC). A markedness constraint, which ranks ACC above NOM, prevents ACC from surfacing on the subject.  A faithfulness constraint, which prohibits an argument from bearing multiple cases, prevents NOM and ACC from being assigned to the same argument. Case on the argument is ranked highly on the tableau.  In addition, a faithfulness constraint (FAITHLEX, which requires the inherent Case-licensing must be checked) must be ranked highly in the tableau. Constraint definitions: *ACCUSATIVE: assign a violation mark to an unaccusative verb with accusative Case. *NOMINATIVE: assign a violation mark to an unaccusative verb with Nominative Case.
caption: Caption: Unaccusative Verbs. Adapted from (Legendre et al., 2001)[31]
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