Clausal architecture and subject positions : impersonal constructions in the Germanic languages / Sabine Mohr.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mohr, Sabine, 1970-

Series:

Linguistik aktuell ; Bd. 88.

Linguistik Aktuell = Linguistics today, 0166-0829 ; v. 88

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Germanic languages--Clauses.

Germanic languages.

Germanic languages--Grammar, Comparative.

Germanic languages--Word order.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (viii, 207 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Amsterdam ; Philadelphia : J. Benjamins Pub., c2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book offers a comparative study of the Germanic languages. It promotes a new approach to the OV vs. VO classification, according to which all clauses have a universal base where the internal argument is always merged in SpecVP. Word order differences and their correlates result from an interaction of checking conditions, the EPP and different types of verb movement, and from parametric variation concerning the location of the subject of predication in the I- or in the C-system.

Contents:

Clausal Architecture and Subject Positions

Editorial page

Title page

LCC data

Contents

Acknowledgements

I. Introduction

0. Introduction

II. Clausal architecture and the EPP

1. Subject positions and the EPP: the evolution of the two concepts

1.1 From principle to feature - the history of the EPP in the works of Chomsky

1.2 From deconstruction to cartography - subject positions and their features

1.3 Universality reconsidered - the EPP as a parameter

2. The EPP and the Extension Condition

2.1 The EPP-feature - the general idea

2.1.1 Some data

2.1.2 Different ways of realising head-positions

2.2 Head-movement - is it syntactic or a PF-phenomenon or even an illusion?

2.2.1 The Extension Condition and Chomsky's objections

2.2.2 Head-movement and the interfaces

2.2.3 Does head-movement exist after all?

2.3 Head-movement and the Extension Condition - how can these two be reconciled?

3. Clause structure

3.1 The projections of the C-system

3.1.1 Sentence-initial XPs in V2 clauses and their positions

3.1.2 Locality and why the finite verb in Fin can only be preceded by one XP

3.2 The projections of the I-system

3.2.1 Overview

3.2.2 TopP, FocP and Scrambling

3.2.3 Two subject positions in the Mittelfeld

3.2.4 RefP and the EPP

3.3 The projections of the V-system

4. Checking

4.1 Types of features

4.2 Matching features

4.3 Checking configurations

4.3.1 Specifier-head configuration

4.3.2 Checking in a head-head configuration and types of V-movement

4.3.3 Consequences of the restrictions on checking - Scrambling vs. Object Shift and a note on typology

5. The 'universal EPP' on T

5.1 Feature checking on T

5.1.1 Nominative Case

5.1.2 T and the New Extension Condition

5.2 The EPP-feature as a subject-of-predication feature?

6. Summary.

III. Impersonal constructions and subject positions

7. The constructions to be discussed and previous accounts

7.1 The data

7.1.1 Presentational sentences

7.1.2 Impersonal passives

7.2 Expletives

7.2.1 Expletives everywhere

7.2.2 Against non-overt expletives

7.3 Locatives in Small Clauses

7.4 Positions and movements involved in the derivation of TECs

8. The derivation of presentational sentences and impersonal passives

8.1 Not all of the alleged expletives can be expletives

8.2 Event arguments

8.3 Comparing German and Dutch

8.3.1 Presentational sentences and impersonal passives as expletive constructions - German

8.3.2 Event arguments mistaken for expletives - Dutch

8.3.3 Some remarks on German 'da'

8.4 Afrikaans

8.5 Yiddish

8.6 Icelandic

8.7 Mainland Scandinavian

8.8 English

8.8.1 The 'there'-construction as a focus construction

8.8.2 The Case of the subject DP

8.8.3 Impersonal passives

8.8.4 Locative Inversion

9. Constructions involving quasi-arguments (or not)

9.2 Impersonal psych verbs

9.1 Weather verbs

9.1.1 German, Dutch, Afrikaans, MSc and English

9.1.2 Icelandic

9.1.3 Yiddish

10. Summary

IV. Conclusion

11. Conclusion

References

Index

The series Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. [199]-204) and index.

ISBN:

9786612156281

9781282156289

1282156284

9789027293992

9027293996

OCLC:

191934802