Italian Syntax

Abstract

This vol in the Studies in Natural Language and Linguistic Theory series contains II PARTS & 6 Chpts & is directed toward supporting the claim that a class of underlying subjectless Vs exists in Italian & other langs (the Unaccusative Hypothesis). Government & Binding theory provides the general framework of study. PART I - VERB CLASSES - contains (1) Intransitive Verbs and Auxiliaries - outlines the claim that apparently intransitive Vs actually make up two distinct classes. Inversion constructions, in which the apparent subject occurs after the V in surface structure, are examined. (2) The Syntax of Inversion - presents a contrastive study of langs that allow a null subject, eg, Italian & the Piedmontese dialect, with those that do not, eg, French & Eng. Basic similarities between inversion in Italian, French, & Eng are found. (3) On Reconstruction and Other Matters - examines three topics: the relation between assignment of (theta)-role to the subject & assignment of Case to the O; the distribution & syntax of past participial clauses; & the "reconstruction" of moved phrases at the level of Logical Form. PART II - COMPLEX PREDICATES - contains (4) Causative Constructions - an examination of constructions in fare 'make', their structure, & meaning. Causative constructions provide further evidence in support of the existence of a class of ergative Vs. (5) Restructuring Constructions - refines earlier proposals concerning the existence of a single syntactic rule of restructuring. Further evidence in support of the Unaccusative Hypothesis is presented, & the existence of empty categories in Italian examined. (6) Reflexives - examines the syntax of reflexive clitics with relation to E assignment, the distribution of reflexive clitics over complex predicates, & ambiguities in the analysis of (theta)-role in reflexive clitics. Bibliog