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“Floating plurals”, prodrop and agreement – an optimality-based RRG approach

  • Rolf Kailuweit
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Investigations of the Syntax–Semantics–Pragmatics Interface
This chapter is in the book Investigations of the Syntax–Semantics–Pragmatics Interface

Abstract

In this paper, I shall try to provide a RRG description of agreement marking and “morphological” argument realization in Spanish. In Spanish, subject agreement can be expressed by a suffix, but the same suffix can realize the PSA-argument. Object clitics, too, can realize arguments or serve as agreement markers. Valeria Belloro, following the research put forth by Company, pointed out an interesting problem concerning argument realization and object clitics in standard Latin American Spanish. Plurality of the Non-Macrorole-Argument can be realized at the clitic denoting the Undergoer-Macrorole. My contribution will thus be to sketch a general RRG-framework for clitics, argument realization and agreement. As far as Belloro’s problem is concerned, I would like to show that the data can be described without presuming a kind of functional head at the level of constituent structure. In fact, speakers use the optimal clitic in each speech variety. What differs is the lexical entry for the clitics, and Grimshaw’s approach to Spanish clitics and optimality must therefore be reformulated. Choosing the optimal clitic is part of applying a constructional schema that comes into play as part of the linking algorithm within the rr g framework.

Abstract

In this paper, I shall try to provide a RRG description of agreement marking and “morphological” argument realization in Spanish. In Spanish, subject agreement can be expressed by a suffix, but the same suffix can realize the PSA-argument. Object clitics, too, can realize arguments or serve as agreement markers. Valeria Belloro, following the research put forth by Company, pointed out an interesting problem concerning argument realization and object clitics in standard Latin American Spanish. Plurality of the Non-Macrorole-Argument can be realized at the clitic denoting the Undergoer-Macrorole. My contribution will thus be to sketch a general RRG-framework for clitics, argument realization and agreement. As far as Belloro’s problem is concerned, I would like to show that the data can be described without presuming a kind of functional head at the level of constituent structure. In fact, speakers use the optimal clitic in each speech variety. What differs is the lexical entry for the clitics, and Grimshaw’s approach to Spanish clitics and optimality must therefore be reformulated. Choosing the optimal clitic is part of applying a constructional schema that comes into play as part of the linking algorithm within the rr g framework.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of contributors ix
  4. Part I. Introduction by the Editor
  5. Editor's introduction xv
  6. Part II. Verbs, argument structure and transitivity
  7. "Saying" verbs in Spanish 3
  8. Split intransitivity in Japanese revisited 23
  9. Reintroducing inverse constructions in Japanese 37
  10. Transitivity in Kabardian 59
  11. Ditransitive constructions: Towards a new Role and Reference Grammar account? 75
  12. Fluid transitivity and generalized semantic roles 101
  13. Part III. Syntactic and morphological categories
  14. Unification and separation in a functional theory of morphology 119
  15. Modality in RRG 147
  16. RPs and the nature of lexical and syntactic categories in Role and Reference Grammar 161
  17. “Floating plurals”, prodrop and agreement – an optimality-based RRG approach 179
  18. Where is the precore slot? Mapping the layered structure of the clause and German sentence topology 203
  19. Part IV. Syntax, pragmatics and prosody
  20. A prosodic projection for Role and Reference Grammar 227
  21. Is Role and Reference Grammar an adequate grammatical theory for punctuation? 245
  22. The interplay of focus structure and syntax 263
  23. How missing is the missing verb? 285
  24. Predication and reference in specificational sentences – functions of English noun phrases 305
  25. Part V. The analysis of complex sentences
  26. Alternative expressions of 'want' complements 321
  27. An RRG approach to French complementation patterns 337
  28. Complementizer-gap phenomena 359
  29. Wari’ Intentional State Constructions 381
  30. Part VI. Neurolinguistic and computational aspects of RRG
  31. Unmarked transitivity 413
  32. Parsing for Role and Reference Grammar 435
  33. A Role-Lexical Module (RLM) for Biblical Hebrew 455
  34. Index of languages 479
  35. Index of subjects 481
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.105.15kai

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of contributors ix
  4. Part I. Introduction by the Editor
  5. Editor's introduction xv
  6. Part II. Verbs, argument structure and transitivity
  7. "Saying" verbs in Spanish 3
  8. Split intransitivity in Japanese revisited 23
  9. Reintroducing inverse constructions in Japanese 37
  10. Transitivity in Kabardian 59
  11. Ditransitive constructions: Towards a new Role and Reference Grammar account? 75
  12. Fluid transitivity and generalized semantic roles 101
  13. Part III. Syntactic and morphological categories
  14. Unification and separation in a functional theory of morphology 119
  15. Modality in RRG 147
  16. RPs and the nature of lexical and syntactic categories in Role and Reference Grammar 161
  17. “Floating plurals”, prodrop and agreement – an optimality-based RRG approach 179
  18. Where is the precore slot? Mapping the layered structure of the clause and German sentence topology 203
  19. Part IV. Syntax, pragmatics and prosody
  20. A prosodic projection for Role and Reference Grammar 227
  21. Is Role and Reference Grammar an adequate grammatical theory for punctuation? 245
  22. The interplay of focus structure and syntax 263
  23. How missing is the missing verb? 285
  24. Predication and reference in specificational sentences – functions of English noun phrases 305
  25. Part V. The analysis of complex sentences
  26. Alternative expressions of 'want' complements 321
  27. An RRG approach to French complementation patterns 337
  28. Complementizer-gap phenomena 359
  29. Wari’ Intentional State Constructions 381
  30. Part VI. Neurolinguistic and computational aspects of RRG
  31. Unmarked transitivity 413
  32. Parsing for Role and Reference Grammar 435
  33. A Role-Lexical Module (RLM) for Biblical Hebrew 455
  34. Index of languages 479
  35. Index of subjects 481
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