The interpretation of null subjects in Romanian
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Mara Frascarelli
Abstract
This chapter explores the ‘acceptability’ and ‘interpretation’ of referential null subjects in Romanian in different syntactic conditions and distinct clause types (matrix clauses, embedded under bridge verbs, embedded under factive verbs and adverbial clauses). Based on the results of an original online survey (carried out by almost 80 respondents), it is shown that Romanian is a consistent pro-drop language, in which no partial pro-drop properties can be found. Furthermore, the results emerged from the analysis provide significant support to the validity of an information-structure approach to the interpretation of null subjects, in which the Topic Criterion (Frascarelli 2007), the formation of Topic chains and the existence of silent Topics play a crucial role.
Abstract
This chapter explores the ‘acceptability’ and ‘interpretation’ of referential null subjects in Romanian in different syntactic conditions and distinct clause types (matrix clauses, embedded under bridge verbs, embedded under factive verbs and adverbial clauses). Based on the results of an original online survey (carried out by almost 80 respondents), it is shown that Romanian is a consistent pro-drop language, in which no partial pro-drop properties can be found. Furthermore, the results emerged from the analysis provide significant support to the validity of an information-structure approach to the interpretation of null subjects, in which the Topic Criterion (Frascarelli 2007), the formation of Topic chains and the existence of silent Topics play a crucial role.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- The acquisition of verbal passives by Portuguese-speaking children 9
- Plus in the French negative system 29
- An experimental approach to parallelism in ellipsis 49
- On focal and wh -projections, indirect wh -questions, and quantificational chains 73
- Is there a dative alternation in Romanian? 91
- The interpretation of null subjects in Romanian 111
- Verum focus and Romanian polar questions 135
- The downward grammaticalisation of irrealis subordinators in Romanian, Salentino and southern Calabrese 157
- Differential object marking 171
- The effects of language ecology on syntactic structure 193
- The syntactic distribution of raddoppiamento fonosinttatico in Cosentino 205
- The causative-inchoative alternation (as we know it) might fall short 239
- On wh -extraction in de + que constructions in Spanish 263
- On another apparent violation of the subject-island constraint in French 277
- Moving towards an event 297
- Cyclicity without containment in Romanian perfects 311
- Dative clitics in Romanian ditransitives 335
- Syntactic vs pragmatic passive 357
- Index 373
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- The acquisition of verbal passives by Portuguese-speaking children 9
- Plus in the French negative system 29
- An experimental approach to parallelism in ellipsis 49
- On focal and wh -projections, indirect wh -questions, and quantificational chains 73
- Is there a dative alternation in Romanian? 91
- The interpretation of null subjects in Romanian 111
- Verum focus and Romanian polar questions 135
- The downward grammaticalisation of irrealis subordinators in Romanian, Salentino and southern Calabrese 157
- Differential object marking 171
- The effects of language ecology on syntactic structure 193
- The syntactic distribution of raddoppiamento fonosinttatico in Cosentino 205
- The causative-inchoative alternation (as we know it) might fall short 239
- On wh -extraction in de + que constructions in Spanish 263
- On another apparent violation of the subject-island constraint in French 277
- Moving towards an event 297
- Cyclicity without containment in Romanian perfects 311
- Dative clitics in Romanian ditransitives 335
- Syntactic vs pragmatic passive 357
- Index 373
