Clausal Architecture And Subject Positions: Impersonal Constructions in the Germanic Languages (Linguistik Aktuell Linguistics Today, Volume 88)

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. In the discussion of a range of impersonal constructions in German, Dutch, Afrikaans, Yiddish, Icelandic, the Mainland Scandinavian languages and English, it is shown that crosslinguistic variation as regards, e.g., the distribution of the expletive in impersonal passives and the occurrence of a Definiteness Effect in Transitive Expletive Constructions is mainly due to the choice of different kinds of 'expletive' elements (each associated with different featural make-ups which force them to show up in different positions), namely true expletives, event arguments and quasi-arguments, whereas expletive pro is shown not to exist Clausal Architecture and Subject Positions......Page 2 Editorial page......Page 3 Title page......Page 4 LCC data......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 9 I. Introduction......Page 10 0. Introduction......Page 12 II. Clausal architecture and the EPP......Page 18 1.1 From principle to feature – the history of the EPP in the works of Chomsky......Page 20 1.2 From deconstruction to cartography – subject positions and their features......Page 29 1.3 Universality reconsidered – the EPP as a parameter......Page 41 2.1.1 Some data......Page 49 2.1.2 Different ways of realising head-positions......Page 51 2.2.1 The Extension Condition and Chomsky’s objections......Page 53 2.2.2 Head-movement and the interfaces......Page 54 2.2.3 Does head-movement exist after all?......Page 57 2.3 Head-movement and the Extension Condition – how can these two be reconciled?......Page 59 3. Clause structure......Page 64 3.1.1 Sentence-initial XPs in V2 clauses and their positions......Page 65 3.1.2 Locality and why the finite verb in Fin can only be preceded by one XP......Page 71 3.2.1 Overview......Page 76 3.2.2 TopP, FocP and Scrambling......Page 77 3.2.3 Two subject positions in the Mittelfeld......Page 79 3.2.4 RefP and the EPP......Page 80 3.3 The projections of the V-system......Page 81 4.1 Types of features......Page 86 4.2 Matching features......Page 87 4.3.1 Specifier-head configuration......Page 88 4.3.2 Checking in a head-head configuration and types of V-movement......Page 92 4.3.3 Consequences of the restrictions on checking – Scrambling vs. Object Shift and a note on typology......Page 106 5.1.1 Nominative Case......Page 111 5.1.2 T and the New Extension Condition......Page 112 5.2 The EPP-feature as a subject-of-predication feature?......Page 115 6. Summary......Page 119 III. Impersonal constructions and subject positions......Page 122 7.1.1 Presentational sentences......Page 124 7.1.2 Impersonal passives......Page 128 7.2.1 Expletives everywhere......Page 131 7.2.2 Against non-overt expletives......Page 134 7.3 Locatives in Small Clauses......Page 136 7.4 Positions and movements involved in the derivation of TECs......Page 138 8.1 Not all of the alleged expletives can be expletives......Page 143 8.2 Event arguments......Page 145 8.3.1 Presentational sentences and impersonal passives as expletive constructions - German......Page 146 8.3.2 Event arguments mistaken for expletives – Dutch......Page 152 8.3.3 Some remarks on German ‘da’......Page 155 8.4 Afrikaans......Page 158 8.5 Yiddish......Page 162 8.6 Icelandic......Page 164 8.7 Mainland Scandinavian......Page 168 8.8.1 The ‘there’-construction as a focus construction......Page 172 8.8.2 The Case of the subject DP......Page 176 8.8.3 Impersonal passives......Page 179 8.8.4 Locative Inversion......Page 180 9.1.1 German, Dutch, Afrikaans, MSc and English......Page 184 9.2 Impersonal psych verbs......Page 192 9.1.2 Icelandic......Page 186 9.1.3 Yiddish......Page 188 10. Summary......Page 198 IV. Conclusion......Page 202 11. Conclusion......Page 204 References......Page 208 Index......Page 214 The series Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today......Page 217 I. Introduction -- Ii. Clausal Architecture And The Epp -- 1. Subject Positions And The Epp : The Evolution Of The Two Concepts -- 2. The Epp And The Extension Condition -- 3. Clause Structure -- 4. Checking -- 5. The 'universal Epp' On T -- 6. Summary -- Iii. Impersonal Constructions And Subject Positions -- 7. The Constructions To Be Discussed And Previous Accounts -- 8. The Derivation Of Presentational Sentences And Impersonal Passives -- 9. Constructions Involving Quasi-arguments (or Not) -- 10. Summary -- Iv. Conclusion -- 11. Conclusion. Sabine Mohr. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [199]-204) And Index.