The Role of Agreement in Non-Finite Predication

241 Pages·2005·10.17 MB·English

by  Gréte Dalmi

The Role of Agreement in Non-Finite Predication
Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today
Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today (LA) provides a platform for original monograph studies
into synchronic and diachronic linguistics. Studies in LA confront empirical and theoretical
problems as these are currently discussed in syntax, semantics, morphology, phonology, and
systematic pragmatics with the aim to establish robust empirical generalizations within a
universalistic perspective.
Series Editors
Werner Abraham Elly van Gelderen
University of Vienna Arizona State University
Advisory Editorial Board
Cedric Boeckx Ian Roberts
Harvard University Cambridge University
Guglielmo Cinque Ken Safir
University of Venice Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ
Günther Grewendorf Lisa deMena Travis
J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt McGill University
Liliane Haegeman Sten Vikner
University of Lille, France University of Aarhus
Hubert Haider C. Jan-Wouter Zwart
University of Salzburg University of Groningen
Christer Platzack
University of Lund
Volume 90
The Role of Agreement in Non-Finite Predication
by Gréte Dalmi
The Role of Agreement in
Non-Finite Predication
Gréte Dalmi
Károly Eszterházy College
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Amsterdam / Philadelphia
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements
of American National Standard for Information Sciences - Permanence
of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gréte Dalmi
The Role of Agreement in Non-Finite Predication / Gréte Dalmi.
p. cm. (Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today, ISSN 0166-0829 ; v. 90)
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
1. Grammar, Comparative and general--Agreement. 2. Grammar,
Comparative and general--Verb phrase. 3. Grammar, Comparative and
general--Topic and comment. 4. Grammar, Comparative and general-
Syntax.
P299A35 D35 2005
415-dc22 2005053685
ISBN 90 272 3354 3 (Hb; alk. paper)
© 2005 - John Benjamins B.V.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or
any other means, without written permission from the publisher.
John Benjamins Publishing Co. • P.O. Box 36224 • 1020 ME Amsterdam • The Netherlands
John Benjamins North America P.O. Box 27519 ■ Philadelphia PA 19118-0519 • USA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of abbreviations vii
List of cases in Hungarian x
Acknowledgements xi
Foreword xii
1. FINITENESS AND MINIMALIST THEORY 1
1.1 Basic notions and principles 2
1.2 Predication relation 10
1.3 The notion of finiteness 13
1.3.1 The infinitive / subjunctive correlation 16
1.3.2 Tense and agreement in non-finite clauses 25
2. TWO THEORIES OF PREDICATION WITHOUT AGRP 29
2.1 From Minimalist Theory to Derivation By Phase 29
2.1.1 The decline of AGRP 30
2.1.2 Strong and weak phases 33
2.2 Thematic feature movement 35
3. AGR-BASED THEORIES OF GRAMMAR 43
3.1 A three-level case checking system 43
3.1.1 Null case theory of Control 45
3.1.2 CP, IP or AGRP? 46
3.2 A visibility-based account of agreement 50
3.3 Predication as feature checking in AGRP 55
3.3.1 Alexiadou & Anagnostopolou (1998) 56
3.3.2 The correlation of definiteness with word order 58
3.4 On the categorical vs. thetic distinction 61
3.5 The proposal: checking [+pred] in AGRsP 64
3.6 Wackemagel's insight 68
4. AGRP IN INFINITIVAL CLAUSES:ICELANDIC AND
HUNGARIAN 71
vi TABLE OF CONTENTS
4.2 Non-nominative subjects 83
4.3 Hungarian infinitival constructions 96
4.3.1 Cutting the infinitival pie 103
4.3.2 AGRP in the Dative Control/Dative Raising Class 105
4.3.3.1 The status of PRO in Control 120
4.3.3.2 The role of the matrix AGRP in Raising and ECM 125
4.3.3.3 Causative constructions 136
5. AGRP IN OTHER FORMS OF NON-FINITE PREDICATION 145
5.1 Analysing small clauses 145
5.1.1 The Distribution of Small Clauses 155
5.1.2 Complex predicates vs. LF- incorporation 167
5.1.3 Two strategies of case checking 177
5.2 Functional categories in participle clauses 184
5.2.1 Anterior and contemporaneous participle clauses 185
5.2.3 Voice/tense correlation in participle clauses 189
5.3 The Balkan Obviation and Control subjunctive revisited 191
5.3.1 The temporal organization of Obviation subjunctives 192
5.3.2 The status of the null subject in Control subjunctive clauses 194
5.4 Welsh finite and non-finite infinitival clauses 196
5.4.1 Semantic classification of Welsh matrix predicates taking
infinitival clauses 197
5.4.2 Lexical vs. null subjects in Welsh infinitival clauses 198
6. CONCLUSION 199
References 203
Index 220
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
A-POSITION ARGUMENT POSITION
A'-POSITION NON-ARGUMENT POSITION
ACC/(A) ACCUSATIVE CASE
AGR AGREEMENT (POSITION)
AGRP MAXIMAL PROJECTION OF AGR
AGRo OBJECT AGREEMENT (POSITION)
AGRs SUBJECT-AGREEMENT (POSITION)
ANT ANTERIOR
AUX AUXILIARY (POSITION)
COM COMITATIVE CASE
COND CONDITIONAL MOOD
COMP COMPLEMENTIZER (POSITION)
COP COPULAR BE (Ø IN PRES3SG)
CONT CONTEMPORANEOUS
DAT/(D) DATIVE CASE
DBP DERIVATION BY PHASE
DELAT DELATIVE CASE
[DEF] DEFINITE OBJECT FEATURE
[-DEF] INDEFINITE OBJECT FEATURE
D DETERMINER (POSITION)
DFT DEFAULT MARKING
DP DETERMINER PHRASE (POSITION)
DR DEFINITENESS RESTRICTION
EM EVENT MEASURER
viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ESS ESSIVE CASE
ECM EXCEPTIONAL CASE MARKING
EST EXTENDED STANDARD THEORY
EPP EXTENDED PROJECTION PRINCIPLE
FP FOCUS PHRASE
Fc CONTRASTTVE FOCUS
GB GOVERNMENT-BINDING (THEORY)
GEN/(G) GENITIVE CASE
HIC HUNGARIAN INFINITIVAL
CONSTRUCTIONS
HMC HEAD MOVEMENT CONSTRAINT
INESS INESSIVE CASE
INFL INFLECTION (POSITION)
INST INSTRUMENTAL CASE
LEC LEFT EDGE CONDITION
M MOOD (POSITION)
MOD MODALITY
MODP MAXIMAL PROJECTION OF MOD
MP MAXIMAL PROJECTION OF M(ood)
MT MINIMALIST THEORY
NOM/(N) NOMINATIVE CASE
NEG NEGATION (POSITION)
NEGEMPH EMPHATIC NEGATIVE PARTICLE sent
NEGP MAXIMAL PROJECTION OF NEG
OR ORIGINATOR
PART PARTITIVE CASE
PAST PAST TENSE
PERF PERFECT ASPECT
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ix
PFX PREFIX
PIC PHASE IMPENETRABILITY CONDITION
POSS POSSESSIVE MARKER
PL PLURAL
PLP PREDICATION LICENSING PRINCIPLE
PP POSTPOSITIONAL PHRASE
PRES PRESENT TENSE
PRO EMPTY PRONOUN, SUBJECT OF THE .
INJFINTIVAL CLAUSE
pro EMPTY NP AS A RESULT OF PRO-DROP
TYPICALLY OF THE SUBJECT NP
PRT PARTICIPLE
PRT SUBJUNCTIVE PARTICLE
Q QUANTIFIER (POSITION)
QP MAXIMAL PROJECTION OF Q
SBJ SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD
SC SMALL CLAUSE
SE SPECIFICITY EFFECT
SCO STRONG CROSS-OVER
SG SINGULAR
SPR SUPERESSrVE CASE
SR SPECIFICITY REQUIREMENT