Differential Subject Marking

Although (almost) all sentences have subjects, not all sentences encode their subjects in the same way. Some languages overtly mark some subjects, but not others, depending on certain features of the subject argument or the sentence in which the subject figures. This phenomenon is known as Differential Subject Marking (DSM). Languages differ in which conditions govern DSM. Some languages differentiate their subjects on the basis of semantic features of the argument such as thematic role, volitionality, animacy, whereas others differentiate on the basis of clausal features such as tense/aspect and the main/dependent clause distinction. DSM comes in different formal guises: case marking, agreement, inverse systems, and voice alternations. Relatively much is known about cross-linguistic variation in the marking of subjects, yet little attempt has been made to formalize the facts. This volume aims to unify formal approaches to language and presents both specific case studies of DSM and theoretical approaches. Front Matter....Pages i-xii Cross-linguistic Variation in Differential Subject Marking....Pages 1-16 Differential Subject Marking at Argument Structure, Syntax, and PF....Pages 17-40 Quantitative Variation in Korean Case Ellipsis: Implications for Case Theory....Pages 41-61 Ergative Case-marking in Hindi....Pages 63-78 DOM and Two Types of DSM in Turkish....Pages 79-111 Differential Subject Marking in Polish: The Case of Genitive vs. Nominative Subjects in “X was not at Y”-constructions....Pages 113-149 Differential Argument Marking in Two-term Case Systems and its Implications for the General Theory of Case Marking....Pages 151-171 Non-canonical Agent Marking in Agul....Pages 173-198 From Topic to Subject Marking: Implications for a Typology of Subject Marking....Pages 199-221 Grammaticalization and Strategies in Resolving Subject Marking Paradoxes: The Case of Tsimshianic....Pages 223-245 Different Subjects, Different Marking....Pages 247-279 Differential Marking of Intransitive Subjects in Kambera (Austronesian)....Pages 281-299 Back Matter....Pages 301-309 Not all sentences encode their subjects in the same way. Some languages overtly mark some subjects depending on certain features of the subject argument or the sentence in which the subject figures. This is known as Differential Subject Marking (DSM). Containing illuminating discussions of DSM from languages all over the world, this book shows that DSM is often the result of interactions between conflicting constraints on language use. Papers presented at the Workshop "Differential Subject Marking", held at the Radboud University Nijmegen in July 2004 Edited By Helen De Hoop, Peter De Swart. Congress Proceedings. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.