Icelandic Morphosyntax And Argument Structure (studies In Natural Language And Linguistic Theory)
by Jim Wood /
2015 / English / PDF
7.6 MB Download
This book provides a detailed study of Icelandic argument
structure alternations within a syntactic theory of argument
structure. Building on recent theorizing within the Minimalist
Program and Distributed Morphology, the author proposes that much
of what is traditionally attributed to syntax should be relegated
to the interfaces, and adapts the late insertion theory of
morphology to semantics. The resulting system forms sound-meaning
pairs by generating hierarchical structures that can be
translated into morphological representations, on the one hand,
and semantic representations, on the other. The syntactic
primitives, however, underdetermine both morphophonology and
semantics. Without appealing to special stipulations, the theory
derives constraints on the external argument of
causative-alternation verbs, interpretive restrictions on
nominative objects, and the optionally agentive interpretation of
verbs denoting self-directed motion.
This book provides a detailed study of Icelandic argument
structure alternations within a syntactic theory of argument
structure. Building on recent theorizing within the Minimalist
Program and Distributed Morphology, the author proposes that much
of what is traditionally attributed to syntax should be relegated
to the interfaces, and adapts the late insertion theory of
morphology to semantics. The resulting system forms sound-meaning
pairs by generating hierarchical structures that can be
translated into morphological representations, on the one hand,
and semantic representations, on the other. The syntactic
primitives, however, underdetermine both morphophonology and
semantics. Without appealing to special stipulations, the theory
derives constraints on the external argument of
causative-alternation verbs, interpretive restrictions on
nominative objects, and the optionally agentive interpretation of
verbs denoting self-directed motion.