Norwegian discourse ellipses in the left periphery – interacting structural and semantic restrictions
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Mari Nygård
Abstract
In Norwegian discourse ellipses, elements in the left edge of the clause are most frequently elided. Yet, a topic drop analysis is argued to be empirically too narrow, since occasionally the whole C-domain is silent. I propose an analysis which combines semantic and structural restrictions: Ellipsis must obey the semantic recoverability condition. On the structural side, the whole C-domain can be unrealized only when all the elements are part of the same Agree-relation. If the constituent in (spec,CP) is not part of this agreement system, e.g. if the object is topicalized, ellipsis of the whole domain is illicit. Ellipsis of only (spec,CP) is possible in any case, given that the semantic identity criteria are fulfilled.
Abstract
In Norwegian discourse ellipses, elements in the left edge of the clause are most frequently elided. Yet, a topic drop analysis is argued to be empirically too narrow, since occasionally the whole C-domain is silent. I propose an analysis which combines semantic and structural restrictions: Ellipsis must obey the semantic recoverability condition. On the structural side, the whole C-domain can be unrealized only when all the elements are part of the same Agree-relation. If the constituent in (spec,CP) is not part of this agreement system, e.g. if the object is topicalized, ellipsis of the whole domain is illicit. Ellipsis of only (spec,CP) is possible in any case, given that the semantic identity criteria are fulfilled.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Language ecology, language evolution, and the actuation question 13
- Syntactic change 37
- Language contact, linguistic variability and the construction of local identities 67
- The social side of syntax in multilingual Oslo 91
- The expansion of the Preterit in Rioplatenese Spanish 117
- Constructing diasystems 137
- Syntactic frames and single-word code-switching 153
- Norwegian discourse ellipses in the left periphery – interacting structural and semantic restrictions 171
- The myth of creole “exceptionalism” 191
- Some notes on bare noun phrases in Haitian Creole and Gùngbè 203
- Coding in time 237
- Index 259
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Language ecology, language evolution, and the actuation question 13
- Syntactic change 37
- Language contact, linguistic variability and the construction of local identities 67
- The social side of syntax in multilingual Oslo 91
- The expansion of the Preterit in Rioplatenese Spanish 117
- Constructing diasystems 137
- Syntactic frames and single-word code-switching 153
- Norwegian discourse ellipses in the left periphery – interacting structural and semantic restrictions 171
- The myth of creole “exceptionalism” 191
- Some notes on bare noun phrases in Haitian Creole and Gùngbè 203
- Coding in time 237
- Index 259
