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Copular exclamatives and gender agreement

  • Bruna Karla Pereira
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Wh-exclamatives, Imperatives and Wh-questions
This chapter is in the book Wh-exclamatives, Imperatives and Wh-questions

Abstract

In this chapter, I look at the syntax of copular exclamative sentences (i) in Brazilian Portuguese where: the copula may be covert; the predicate precedes the subject; and there is an apparent “mismatch” of agreement in gender between the subject and the predicate. (i) Que bom essa chuvinha!(Family conversation, Belo Horizonte, 13/11/2019) What good-MASC this rain-DIM-FEM ‘How good is this little rain!’ (i’) [DPQue(ALGO) bom] essa chuvinha! (Adapted from i) I argue that, in the clausal structure, the DP predicate moves to the CP-domain to check exclamative illocutionary force and, as a result, it is inverted in the sentential linear order. In the DP predicate, there is a silent noun algo(i’) that, if overt, moves to Spec,AgrP, above the AP, which results in the post nominal position of the adjective. Inside the DP predicate, the adjective agrees with the silent noun algothat bears interpretable and valued gender features. In sum, this chapter conducts an analysis of the following: firstly, the exclamative clausal structure (CP) in copular sentences with inverted predicate; secondly, the internal structure of the DP; and, thirdly, the agreement triggered in these structures.

Abstract

In this chapter, I look at the syntax of copular exclamative sentences (i) in Brazilian Portuguese where: the copula may be covert; the predicate precedes the subject; and there is an apparent “mismatch” of agreement in gender between the subject and the predicate. (i) Que bom essa chuvinha!(Family conversation, Belo Horizonte, 13/11/2019) What good-MASC this rain-DIM-FEM ‘How good is this little rain!’ (i’) [DPQue(ALGO) bom] essa chuvinha! (Adapted from i) I argue that, in the clausal structure, the DP predicate moves to the CP-domain to check exclamative illocutionary force and, as a result, it is inverted in the sentential linear order. In the DP predicate, there is a silent noun algo(i’) that, if overt, moves to Spec,AgrP, above the AP, which results in the post nominal position of the adjective. Inside the DP predicate, the adjective agrees with the silent noun algothat bears interpretable and valued gender features. In sum, this chapter conducts an analysis of the following: firstly, the exclamative clausal structure (CP) in copular sentences with inverted predicate; secondly, the internal structure of the DP; and, thirdly, the agreement triggered in these structures.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Introduction 1
  4. Part I: Wh-Exclamatives
  5. Exclamatives: An overview 23
  6. On the role of IP-related functional categories in the derivation of wh-exclamatives 53
  7. “What a great paper!”: A semantic analysis of wh-exclamatives with predicates of personal taste 85
  8. Copular exclamatives and gender agreement 117
  9. The perception of wh-exclamatives, free small clauses, and wh-questions in Brazilian Portuguese 143
  10. Part II: Imperatives
  11. Imperative clauses 173
  12. The verbal imperative in Brazilian capitals: An analysis of data from the Linguistic Atlas of Brazil Project 227
  13. Past imperatives 255
  14. Imperative sentences and their subjects 283
  15. Part III: Wh-questions
  16. A framework for the study of Romance wh-questions, with special reference to Italo-Romance 315
  17. Using semantic inferences to distinguish between free relative and embedded questions: An analysis of ambiguous embedded clauses 359
  18. The left-peripheral syntax of Brazilian Portuguese cadê 387
  19. Aspects of the development of wh-questions in child Brazilian Portuguese 409
  20. Wh-questions, intervention effects and beyond: An assessment of Brazilian Portuguese-speaking schoolchildren’s linguistic abilities 441
  21. Subject index 461
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111183176-005

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Introduction 1
  4. Part I: Wh-Exclamatives
  5. Exclamatives: An overview 23
  6. On the role of IP-related functional categories in the derivation of wh-exclamatives 53
  7. “What a great paper!”: A semantic analysis of wh-exclamatives with predicates of personal taste 85
  8. Copular exclamatives and gender agreement 117
  9. The perception of wh-exclamatives, free small clauses, and wh-questions in Brazilian Portuguese 143
  10. Part II: Imperatives
  11. Imperative clauses 173
  12. The verbal imperative in Brazilian capitals: An analysis of data from the Linguistic Atlas of Brazil Project 227
  13. Past imperatives 255
  14. Imperative sentences and their subjects 283
  15. Part III: Wh-questions
  16. A framework for the study of Romance wh-questions, with special reference to Italo-Romance 315
  17. Using semantic inferences to distinguish between free relative and embedded questions: An analysis of ambiguous embedded clauses 359
  18. The left-peripheral syntax of Brazilian Portuguese cadê 387
  19. Aspects of the development of wh-questions in child Brazilian Portuguese 409
  20. Wh-questions, intervention effects and beyond: An assessment of Brazilian Portuguese-speaking schoolchildren’s linguistic abilities 441
  21. Subject index 461
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