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Chapter 10. Complementizer agreement

  • Germen J. de Haan
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Studies in West Frisian Grammar
This chapter is in the book Studies in West Frisian Grammar

Abstract

Frisian belongs to the set of Germanic languages that show agreement between the complementizer and the subject, albeit in a very modest way. This paper compares two approaches to the nature of agreeing complementizers: a clitic analysis and an inflection analysis. Arguments are presented for the latter. Within the context of a more general theory of agreement, we discuss the nature of the dependency relation between the complementizer and the subject, claiming that it involves a limited form of incorporation of the subject into the complementizer. This analysis also makes an agreement approach to pro-drop in Frisian feasible. Finally we demonstrate that Frisian belongs to the subset of complementizer languages that have double agreement forms, i.e. the forms for non-inverted and inverted verbs are not entirely identical.

Abstract

Frisian belongs to the set of Germanic languages that show agreement between the complementizer and the subject, albeit in a very modest way. This paper compares two approaches to the nature of agreeing complementizers: a clitic analysis and an inflection analysis. Arguments are presented for the latter. Within the context of a more general theory of agreement, we discuss the nature of the dependency relation between the complementizer and the subject, claiming that it involves a limited form of incorporation of the subject into the complementizer. This analysis also makes an agreement approach to pro-drop in Frisian feasible. Finally we demonstrate that Frisian belongs to the subset of complementizer languages that have double agreement forms, i.e. the forms for non-inverted and inverted verbs are not entirely identical.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Introduction 1
  4. Chapter 1. Recent trends in Frisian linguistics 11
  5. Chapter 2. Why Old Frisian is really Middle Frisian 25
  6. Chapter 3. Syntax of Old Frisian 47
  7. Chapter 4. Finiteness and verb fronting 63
  8. Chapter 5. More is going on upstairs than downstairs 99
  9. Chapter 6. The Imperativus-pro-Infinitivo 131
  10. Chapter 7. Two infinitives 153
  11. Chapter 8. The verbal complex 165
  12. Chapter 9. The third construction 199
  13. Chapter 10. Complementizer agreement 215
  14. Chapter 11. Grammatical borrowing and language change 233
  15. Chapter 12. Frisian language changes 251
  16. Chapter 13. Recent changes in the verbal complex of Frisian 265
  17. Chapter 14. Contact-induced changes in Modern West Frisian 275
  18. Chapter 15. On the (in-)stability of Frisian 301
  19. Chapter 16. Nasalization and lengthening 317
  20. Chapter 17. Monophthongs and syllable structure 331
  21. Chapter 18. A lexical theory of schwa-deletion 341
  22. References 357
  23. Acknowledgements 379
  24. Index 381
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.161.10com

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Introduction 1
  4. Chapter 1. Recent trends in Frisian linguistics 11
  5. Chapter 2. Why Old Frisian is really Middle Frisian 25
  6. Chapter 3. Syntax of Old Frisian 47
  7. Chapter 4. Finiteness and verb fronting 63
  8. Chapter 5. More is going on upstairs than downstairs 99
  9. Chapter 6. The Imperativus-pro-Infinitivo 131
  10. Chapter 7. Two infinitives 153
  11. Chapter 8. The verbal complex 165
  12. Chapter 9. The third construction 199
  13. Chapter 10. Complementizer agreement 215
  14. Chapter 11. Grammatical borrowing and language change 233
  15. Chapter 12. Frisian language changes 251
  16. Chapter 13. Recent changes in the verbal complex of Frisian 265
  17. Chapter 14. Contact-induced changes in Modern West Frisian 275
  18. Chapter 15. On the (in-)stability of Frisian 301
  19. Chapter 16. Nasalization and lengthening 317
  20. Chapter 17. Monophthongs and syllable structure 331
  21. Chapter 18. A lexical theory of schwa-deletion 341
  22. References 357
  23. Acknowledgements 379
  24. Index 381
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