This article aims at the systematic investigation into the diachronic formation of ‘NP-e' and ‘NP-lo’ arguments from the structures of intransitive verbs used in the 15th century. All the intransitive verbs of the 15th century were made the object of this study. According to the investigation in this article, it was estimated that the total intransitive verbs of 15th century were nearly 450 words and that the ‘NP-e' and ‘NP-lo’ arguments were formed from 80 verbs. The newly generated ɵ-roles of ‘NP-e’ include criterion, source, location, theme, goal, benefactive, and agent. The newly generated ɵ-roles of ‘NP-lo’ include goal, source, result, qualification, instrument, and location. From the formation of ‘NP-e' and ‘NP-lo’ arguments in the structure of the intransitive verbs, the following two types of the structure change can occur. One is that the argument structure of intransitive verbs can be extended. The other is that the case alternation between postpositions, ‘-e’, and ‘-lo’ can be realized in the structure of the intransitive verbs. In addition, the formation of arguments in the structure resulted from both the formation of polysemy by the intransitive verbs and the functional extension of the postpositions.

This article aims at the systematic investigation into the diachronic formation of ‘NP-e' and ‘NP-lo’ arguments from the structures of intransitive verbs used in the 15th century. All the intransitive verbs of the 15th century were made the object of this study. According to the investigation in this article, it was estimated that the total intransitive verbs of 15th century were nearly 450 words and that the ‘NP-e' and ‘NP-lo’ arguments were formed from 80 verbs. The newly generated ɵ-roles of ‘NP-e’ include criterion, source, location, theme, goal, benefactive, and agent. The newly generated ɵ-roles of ‘NP-lo’ include goal, source, result, qualification, instrument, and location. From the formation of ‘NP-e' and ‘NP-lo’ arguments in the structure of the intransitive verbs, the following two types of the structure change can occur. One is that the argument structure of intransitive verbs can be extended. The other is that the case alternation between postpositions, ‘-e’, and ‘-lo’ can be realized in the structure of the intransitive verbs. In addition, the formation of arguments in the structure resulted from both the formation of polysemy by the intransitive verbs and the functional extension of the postpositions.