Desiderative constructions express an event desired by the agent (semantic and/or syntactic subject)[1] and consist of two parts: the main clause and the desired event clause (DEC), which may appear as a finite clause or a simple infinitive. This parameter considers constructions in which the semantic agent of the desired event is coreferential with (referring to the same entity as) the agent of this desire. Languages differ in terms of whether their desiderative constructions explicitly include (repeat) the agent desiring that action in the desired event clause.[2] Explicit constructions include the agent; implicit constructions do not.

Explicit desideratives can be formed as either a simple (single clause + infinitive) or complex (main clause + subordinate clause) sentence. If the desired event clause contains an explicit subject in at least one person or with one type of subject (such as intransitive subjects), the desiderative construction of the language is considered explicit. Implicit desideratives can only appear as simple clauses, with the DEC represented by an infinitive subordinated to the verb ‘want.’

Types:

ExplVAff: The desiderative construction appears as a simple subject–predicate clause in which the verb form shows person and number agreement with the subject (also the agent). The desiderative function (‘want’) is expressed through the use of a special affix on the verb.

ExplVM: The desiderative construction appears as a simple subject–predicate clause in which the verb form shows person and number agreement with the subject (also the agent). The desiderative function (‘want’) is expressed through the use of a specific verbal tense, mood, or aspect.

ExplV1: The desiderative construction appears as a simple subject–predicate clause in which the verb form does not show person and number agreement with the subject (also the agent). Despite the third-person subject, the predicate appears in first person, which alludes to the agent’s self-expressed desires.[3]

ExplN: The desiderative construction appears as a simple subject–predicate clause in which ‘want’ is expressed through the nominal subject. The desired action is subordinate to this subject, and the structure explicitly refers to the subject of the desired action.[4] The latter may appear, for example, as a participial phrase.

ExplCompVInd: The DEC appears as a subordinate clause containing an independent subject.[5] The verbal predicate appears in the same form as it would appear in an independent clause.

ExplCompVM: The DEC appears as a subordinate clause containing an independent subject. The desiderative function is expressed by the verbal predicate or the verbal tense, aspect, or mood determined by the subordinate status of the clause.

ExplCompVxInd: The DEC is formed without an independent subject; the number and person of the agent are marked on the verbal predicate of a subordinate clause, which appears in the same form as it would in an independent clause.

ExplCompVxM: The DEC is formed without an independent subject; the number and person of the agent are marked on the verbal predicate of a subordinate clause, which appears in the verbal tense, aspect, or mood triggered by the desiderative function and/or subordinate status of the clause.

ImplInf: The desired event is expressed by an infinitive appearing as the object of the verb ‘want.’[6]

ImplNonf: The desired event is expressed by a nonfinite verb form.

+DezPart: The desiderative construction is formed using a desiderative particle.

+Cmplz: The desiderative construction is formed using a non-inflectional desiderative particle and/or complementizer.

When a language displays more than one type, two values can be listed. If one type is dominant, a slash (/) can separate the two values, with the dominant value appearing first; if neither is dominant, they are listed with an ampersand (&) separating the two. The use of parentheses indicates that use of the strategy is not obligatory, while the use of a plus sign (+) instead of an ampersand indicates that the two strategies must be used simultaneously. The values +DezPart and +Cplz can only appear alongside another value.

[1] As long as the given sentence has a desiderative function, it is not relevant whether the verb used to express the want has any other meaning or function.

[2] The agent may appear explicitly as a noun, pronoun, or a personal morpheme.

[3] This might appear as the following: *The boy I should go.

[4] The predicate of the sentence generally expresses existence, with or without a copula. For example, it might appear as the following: *There is desire by the boy to go to the movies (or *The boy has a desire of going to the movies).

[5] An independent subject refers to either the repetition of the noun or a pronoun not required by verb conjugation.

[6] Although there is no universal definition of infinitive, the following criteria are often used (at least three must be met): (a) the stem has a verbal meaning, but the word form itself is not a finite verb (it cannot serve as a predicate alongside a subject); (b) it cannot express the verbal categories of tense, mood, or aspect; (c) it is not a noun (it cannot answer the question What is this?); (d) it displays some syntagmatic properties of nouns (such as being the object of an adposition); (f) it displays some syntactic properties of nouns (such as serving as the subject of a sentence); (f) it appears with auxiliaries or auxiliary-like main verbs.