Word order in Basque determiner phrases
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Beñat Oyharçabal
Abstract
The relative order of some internal constituents of Basque DPs is fixed. For the most part adjectives appear to the right of the noun but precede demonstratives, whereas quantifiers must precede the noun. When there are several adjectives they have an unmarked order, and in this case, although it is not easy to discover oppositions, that unmarked order is the reverse (i.e. mirror image) of the one occurring in languages in which adjectives precede the noun they qualify (Sproat & Shih 1988; Scott 2002). These facts are examined in a typological perspective in this article, which draws on Kayne’s (1994) approach to antisymmetry and Cinque’s (1999) universal structural hierarchy of DP functions. It is shown that these data can be accounted for adequately by movements within the DP achieved by raising merged phrases through the specifiers as proposed by e.g. Fassi Fehri (1999), Cinque (2005), Aboh (2004) and Shlonsky (2004).
Abstract
The relative order of some internal constituents of Basque DPs is fixed. For the most part adjectives appear to the right of the noun but precede demonstratives, whereas quantifiers must precede the noun. When there are several adjectives they have an unmarked order, and in this case, although it is not easy to discover oppositions, that unmarked order is the reverse (i.e. mirror image) of the one occurring in languages in which adjectives precede the noun they qualify (Sproat & Shih 1988; Scott 2002). These facts are examined in a typological perspective in this article, which draws on Kayne’s (1994) approach to antisymmetry and Cinque’s (1999) universal structural hierarchy of DP functions. It is shown that these data can be accounted for adequately by movements within the DP achieved by raising merged phrases through the specifiers as proposed by e.g. Fassi Fehri (1999), Cinque (2005), Aboh (2004) and Shlonsky (2004).
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Introduction 1
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Part I. DPs and quantification
- The DP Hypothesis in the grammar of Basque 21
- The way the definite determiner affects quantifiers in Basque (and beyond) 79
- An overview of Basque measure phrases 111
- Number agreement in Basque 149
- Synchronic ubiquity of the Basque article -a: A look from diachrony 179
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Part II. Nominal expressions and predicative configurations
- Genitive case and multiple checking in Basque 209
- Predication markers in Basque 243
- Word order in Basque determiner phrases 267
- Denominal necessity modals in Basque 283
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Part III. Clausal nominalizations
- Basque nominalizations and the role of structural Case in the licensing of null arguments 333
- Structural dependency and interpretation in Basque nominalized clauses 375
- Perception verb complements in Basque 397
- A continuum of deficiency for Basque infinitives 437
- Language index 461
- Subject index 463
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. DPs and quantification
- The DP Hypothesis in the grammar of Basque 21
- The way the definite determiner affects quantifiers in Basque (and beyond) 79
- An overview of Basque measure phrases 111
- Number agreement in Basque 149
- Synchronic ubiquity of the Basque article -a: A look from diachrony 179
-
Part II. Nominal expressions and predicative configurations
- Genitive case and multiple checking in Basque 209
- Predication markers in Basque 243
- Word order in Basque determiner phrases 267
- Denominal necessity modals in Basque 283
-
Part III. Clausal nominalizations
- Basque nominalizations and the role of structural Case in the licensing of null arguments 333
- Structural dependency and interpretation in Basque nominalized clauses 375
- Perception verb complements in Basque 397
- A continuum of deficiency for Basque infinitives 437
- Language index 461
- Subject index 463
