Valency (linguistics)

In linguistics Valency or valence refers to the capacity of a verb to take a specific number and type of arguments (noun phrase positions). A monovalent verb (e.g., "sleep") cannot take a direct object ("He sleeps," versus "He sleeps it."). A trivalent verb has three arguments (e.g., "give" has the giver, the givee, and the thing given).

Another example:

In this sentence:

Newlyn lies at the western end of Mount's Bay.

the verb lies implies the occurrence of a subject and an adverbial (valency = 2).

Compare to the sentence

Newlyn lies which has a very different meaning

On the other hand in

By the turn of the century Newlyn had changed

the verb changed only requires a subject (valancy = 1) as in the sentence

Newlyn had changed

The linguistical meaning of valence is derived from the definition of valency in chemistry

external links

• http://webdoc.gwdg.de/edoc/ia/eese/artic99/herbst/main1.html