ON THE CONCEPT OF VALENCE IN ALBANIAN LANGUAGE

Abstract

In this paper we attempt to address the valence of the verb in Albanian. Valence relies on the verb centric method. This means that the verb is the main ingredient that rules all other ingredients, even the subject itself. The binding elements that mark the valence of a verb according to L. Tesnière are called actants. This orbital system puts the verb at the center and gives it "the omnipotent" power by which the arguments are held back. Optional elements called adjuncts may also appear in a phrase along with arguments. The choice of arguments are made by the verb, meanwhile the adjuncts are not. According to the number of arguments the verb receives, its valences are also determined. They are grouped into zero-valent, mono-valent, bivalent and trivalent.  This division does not coincide with the traditional division of verbs as transitive and intransitive. Our corpus relies heavily on written language materials, most examples will be from the daily press.