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Chapter 3. Definite determiners in Romance

The role of modification
  • Daniela Isac
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Points of Convergence in Romance Linguistics
This chapter is in the book Points of Convergence in Romance Linguistics

Abstract

The definite article in Eastern Romance (ER) is overtly expressed as a suffix on the noun. However, with objects of prepositions (Ps) the definite article can be null, unless the P object is modified, in which case the definite article must be overt. In order to account for this variation in the overtness of the definite article, I propose that definite Ds must undergo M-merge in ER and that the definite D is spelled out overtly only if D M-merges with a head that bears a definiteness ([def]) feature. ER languages display micro-variation with respect to which particular item in the DP can host the definite article, and with respect to whether the definite article in unmodified objects of Ps must, or simply can, be null. Micro-variation is accounted for by (i) the feature content of the Number head, and (ii) whether the M-merge rule applies strictly locally or not.

Abstract

The definite article in Eastern Romance (ER) is overtly expressed as a suffix on the noun. However, with objects of prepositions (Ps) the definite article can be null, unless the P object is modified, in which case the definite article must be overt. In order to account for this variation in the overtness of the definite article, I propose that definite Ds must undergo M-merge in ER and that the definite D is spelled out overtly only if D M-merges with a head that bears a definiteness ([def]) feature. ER languages display micro-variation with respect to which particular item in the DP can host the definite article, and with respect to whether the definite article in unmodified objects of Ps must, or simply can, be null. Micro-variation is accounted for by (i) the feature content of the Number head, and (ii) whether the M-merge rule applies strictly locally or not.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. A. Interfaces
  6. Chapter 1. Picard subject clitics 11
  7. Chapter 2. A child’s view of Romance modification 35
  8. Chapter 3. Definite determiners in Romance 57
  9. B. Bridging issues at the CP-TP-vP levels
  10. Chapter 4. Differential object marking, oblique morphology, and enriched case hierarchies 81
  11. Chapter 5. A deletion account of referential null objects in Basque Spanish 97
  12. Chapter 6. Same EPP, different null subject type 111
  13. Chapter 7. On (un)grammatical sequences of se s in Spanish 127
  14. Chapter 8. On the interpretation of the Spanish 1st person plural pronoun 143
  15. C. Bridging issues at the PP-DP levels
  16. Chapter 9. French ne … que exceptives in prepositional contexts 163
  17. Chapter 10. Interpreting reduplicated numerals in Old Ibero-Romance 177
  18. Chapter 11. Value and cardinality in the evaluation of bare singulars in Brazilian Portuguese 193
  19. Chapter 12. Formality by distance in Spanish and Catalan 207
  20. D. Bridging issues in linguistics
  21. Chapter 13. Cyclical change in affixal negation 225
  22. Chapter 14. Code-mixing and semantico-pragmatic resources in francophone Maine 243
  23. Chapter 15. Exceptionality and ungrammaticality in Spanish stress 257
  24. Index 273
https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.360.03isa

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. A. Interfaces
  6. Chapter 1. Picard subject clitics 11
  7. Chapter 2. A child’s view of Romance modification 35
  8. Chapter 3. Definite determiners in Romance 57
  9. B. Bridging issues at the CP-TP-vP levels
  10. Chapter 4. Differential object marking, oblique morphology, and enriched case hierarchies 81
  11. Chapter 5. A deletion account of referential null objects in Basque Spanish 97
  12. Chapter 6. Same EPP, different null subject type 111
  13. Chapter 7. On (un)grammatical sequences of se s in Spanish 127
  14. Chapter 8. On the interpretation of the Spanish 1st person plural pronoun 143
  15. C. Bridging issues at the PP-DP levels
  16. Chapter 9. French ne … que exceptives in prepositional contexts 163
  17. Chapter 10. Interpreting reduplicated numerals in Old Ibero-Romance 177
  18. Chapter 11. Value and cardinality in the evaluation of bare singulars in Brazilian Portuguese 193
  19. Chapter 12. Formality by distance in Spanish and Catalan 207
  20. D. Bridging issues in linguistics
  21. Chapter 13. Cyclical change in affixal negation 225
  22. Chapter 14. Code-mixing and semantico-pragmatic resources in francophone Maine 243
  23. Chapter 15. Exceptionality and ungrammaticality in Spanish stress 257
  24. Index 273
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