Estructura gramatical i normativa lingüística: a propòsit dels verbs psicològics en català

In this paper we study the most relevant structural facts concerning the syntax and semantics of two classes of «psychological verbs» in Catalan, namely causative transitive verbs like alegrar (to cheer up) and stative intransitive verbs like agradar (to be pleasing to). On the other hand, one of our main goals is to make it clear that a vast majority of Catalan native speakers can use verbs like sorprendre (to surprise), preocupar (to worry) or molestar (to bother) sometimes as transitive and sometimes as intransitive, the latter use being clearly neglected by the Standard Catalan Dictionary (DIEC). We show that there is a clear motivation behind this apparently free alternation: when verbs like sorprendre have a transitive use, their syntactic and semantic behaviour is identical to that of verbs like alegrar, whereas their behaviour is identical to that of verbs like agradar when they have an intransitive use. The opposite point is also true: we point out that unfortunately grammars or dictionaries on Standard Catalan should not qualify as regular some patterns that are clearly ungrammatical for Catalan native speakers: it is the case of verbs like interessar (matter to) or desagradar (to be displeasing to), which are said to be transitive verbs according to DIEC. It is then clear that lexicographers or grammars on (Standard) Catalan should not neglect anymore the Contributions of theoretical linguists.