Null Subjects in Generative Grammar. A Synchronic and Diachronic Perspective

Cover......Page 1
Null Subjects in Generative Grammar: A Synchronic and Diachronic Perspective......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Dedication......Page 6
Contents......Page 8
Acknowledgements......Page 10
List of abbreviations......Page 11
Notes on contributors......Page 14
1.1 The null-subject phenomenon......Page 18
1.2 The null-subject parameter: original formulation and cluster properties......Page 19
1.2.1 On expletives......Page 20
1.2.2 On the identification of null subjects......Page 28
1.2.3 What is the null......Page 33
1.2.4 On partial null-subject languages......Page 37
1.2.5 Untitled......Page 40
1.3 The null-subject phenomenon: conclusions and outlook......Page 41
1.4 The individual contributions......Page 42
Acknowledgements......Page 45
Part I: Properties of null-subject languages......Page 46
2.1.1 Expletives and pro-drop languages......Page 48
2.1.2 IP-internal expletives......Page 50
2.1.3 Expletives in the left periphery......Page 53
2.1.4 Overview......Page 54
2.2.1 Referential and expletive nó......Page 55
2.2.2 On the position of nó......Page 58
2.2.3 On the interpretation of nó......Page 62
2.3.1 Thetic structures......Page 65
2.3.2 Existential sentences......Page 66
2.3.5 The syntax of nó......Page 67
Acknowledgements......Page 68
3.1 Methodological premises......Page 69
3.2 Setting the Cimbrian scenario......Page 71
3.2.1 The basics of pro-drop in Cimbrian......Page 73
3.2.1.1 Lexical expletives......Page 74
3.2.1.2 Free subject inversion......Page 75
3.2.1.3 ‘That-trace’ effect......Page 76
3.2.2 Three types of lexical expletives ( ’z / -z / -da)......Page 77
3.2.3 Provisional conclusion......Page 80
3.3 Revisiting free subject inversion......Page 81
3.3.1 Free subject inversion in Cimbrian......Page 83
3.3.2 Developing pro-drop: Two potential developmental paths for Cimbrian......Page 84
3.4 Conclusion: The relevance of Cimbrian for the theory of parameter-resetting......Page 85
Acknowledgements......Page 86
4.1 Introduction......Page 87
4.2 Overt referential subject pronouns in Medieval French......Page 88
4.3 Overt TP subject expletives in Medieval French......Page 92
4.4 Medieval French as a partial null-subject language?......Page 97
4.5 Medieval French as a non-null-subject language......Page 100
4.6 Contexts allowing null subjects in Medieval French......Page 106
4.7 Conclusion......Page 109
Acknowledgements......Page 110
5.1 Introduction......Page 111
5.2 Parameters in the twenty-first century?......Page 112
5.3.1 Introducing the Three Factors Model of Biberauer (2011)......Page 115
5.3.2 Universal Grammar (UG)......Page 116
5.3.3 The Primary Linguistic Data (PLD)......Page 117
5.3.4 The Third Factor: Maximise Minimal Means (MMM)......Page 120
5.4 A case study: word order......Page 121
5.5.1 Key aspects of what we have learned so far......Page 127
5.5.1.1 Phi-features and the specification of licensor and licensee......Page 128
5.5.1.2 The significance of the left periphery and lexicalization......Page 132
5.5.2 Pro-drop: the view from emergent parametric hierarchies......Page 136
5.5.2.1 Phi-regulated pro-drop from an emergentist perspective......Page 137
5.5.2.2 Different routes to pro-drop: against a single, unidirectional pro-drop hierarchy......Page 139
5.5.2.3 A neo-emergentist approach to the typology of pro-drop......Page 147
5.6 Conclusions and future directions......Page 149
Acknowledgements......Page 152
Part II: Types of null subjectsand identification......Page 154
Part IIa: Null subjects and control theory......Page 156
6.1 Introduction: pro or PRO?......Page 158
6.2 OC in Russian......Page 159
6.3 Untitled......Page 164
6.4.1 Inflected infinitives and control......Page 170
6.4.2 Fake partial control......Page 173
6.5.1 Caseless control (control as movement)......Page 175
6.5.2 Cased control (pro-control)......Page 178
6.5.3 The advantages of this analysis......Page 181
6.5.4 The nullness of pro......Page 186
Acknowledgements......Page 187
7.1 Introduction......Page 188
7.2.1 Null subjects in Present-Day Russian......Page 190
7.2.2 Null subjects in Old Russian......Page 195
7.3.1 Change of the pro-drop character of Russian in root or non-embedded contexts......Page 197
7.3.2 The development of null subjects in embedded structures......Page 203
7.3.3 Interim summary: the development of null subjects in Russian......Page 208
7.4 The historical change and its implications for pro......Page 209
7.5 Concluding remarks......Page 213
Acknowledgements......Page 214
8.1 Introduction: Clausal Control......Page 216
8.2 Hypothesis A: pro......Page 217
8.3 Hypothesis B: the reduced relative......Page 219
8.4 The analysis of Clausal Control......Page 222
Acknowledgements......Page 225
Part IIb: Null subjects between discourse and agreement......Page 226
9.1 The interpretation of pro: an introductory survey......Page 228
9.2.1 The A-Topic......Page 230
9.2.2 The G-Topic......Page 231
9.2.3 A-Topics, G-Topics, and conversational dynamics......Page 233
9.3 Formation and properties of A-Topic chains......Page 234
9.3.1 The interpretation of null first and second person arguments......Page 236
9.3.2 Topic chains headed by a silent A-Topic......Page 238
9.4 Partial NS languages: major properties......Page 239
9.5.1 NS embedded under a bridge verb......Page 241
9.5.2 Null subjects embedded under a factive verb......Page 243
9.5.3 Null subjects in adverbial clauses......Page 244
9.5.4 Interpreting NSs without either control or locality: some considerations......Page 248
9.5.5 An insight on PF visibility: silent A-Topics as chain heads......Page 252
9.6 The interpretation of pro in consistent and partial NS languages: a novel parametric approach......Page 255
Acknowledgements......Page 256
10.1 Modelling [NP e] in the grammar of natural language......Page 257
10.2 [NP e] as [nP n]......Page 258
10.2.1 A null n and argument drop in English......Page 261
10.2.2 An overt n and argument drop in Polish and Kashubian......Page 270
10.3 Conclusions......Page 276
Acknowledgements......Page 277
11.1 Introduction......Page 278
11.2 Null subject in Present Day German......Page 279
11.3 Null subjects in older stages of German......Page 282
11.4 Symmetric versus asymmetric pro-drop......Page 285
11.5 Pro in non-root clauses......Page 288
11.6.1 Person restrictions in the distribution of null subjects......Page 291
11.6.2 Clause type restrictions in the distribution of null subjects......Page 295
11.7 Conclusion......Page 299
Acknowledgements......Page 301
12.1 Introduction......Page 302
12.2 Null subjects in modern Germanic—the basic facts......Page 304
12.3.1 Null 1sg subjects in Swabian......Page 306
12.3.2 Null 1sg subjects in Zürich German......Page 309
12.4.2 Null subjects in verb-final clauses......Page 313
12.4.3 Agreeing complementizers......Page 314
12.5.1 Two types of identification......Page 315
12.5.2 Identification via Distinct Agreement......Page 318
12.6 Null subjects in modern Germanic—some conclusions......Page 322
Acknowledgements......Page 323
References......Page 324
Index of languages......Page 366
Index of names......Page 369
Index of terms......Page 375