The syntax of English comitative constructions
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Niina Ning Zhang
Abstract
This paper argues that in comitative constructions, two Determiner Phrases (DPs) and the word with form a complex nominal [DP1with DP2] in their base-positions. Moreover, it establishes a distinction between two types of comitative constructions: symmetrical and asymmetrical. Unlike symmetrical comitatives, DP2 in asymmetrical comitatives denotes an appurtenance of the referent of DP1. Other differences between the two types are that symmetrical comitatives always contain a plural feature and that in asymmetrical comitatives the cluster [with DP2] is optional and the cluster [DP1with DP2] may occur in preverbal subject positions and A-bar positions. My proposal is that in symmetrical comitatives the word with has features of [D, Plural, Case assigning], and takes DP2 as its complement and DP1 as its Specifier. In asymmetrical comitatives, by contrast, the word with is a regular preposition and the cluster [with DP2] is a Prepositional Phrase and an adjunct to DP1. Finally, the paper also argues against an extraposition analysis of discontinuous surface word orders in comitative constructions.
© Mouton de Gruyter – Societas Linguistica Europaea
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- Hesitation phenomena in the language production of bilingual speakers: The role of working memory
- Force dynamics, fictive dynamicity, and the Finnish verbs of ‘remaining’
- Defining grammatical constructions as a linguistic sign: The case of periphrastic progressives in the Germanic languages
- The syntax of English comitative constructions
- Book Reviews
- Report on the 39th Annual Meeting of the Societas Linguistica Europaea (Bremen, 30 August – 2 September 2006)
- Acknowledgements
- 40th Annual Meeting of the Societas Linguistica Europaea 29 August–1 September 2007
- Publications Received
Articles in the same Issue
- Accessibility Theory applied to French: The case of il and celui-ci
- Hesitation phenomena in the language production of bilingual speakers: The role of working memory
- Force dynamics, fictive dynamicity, and the Finnish verbs of ‘remaining’
- Defining grammatical constructions as a linguistic sign: The case of periphrastic progressives in the Germanic languages
- The syntax of English comitative constructions
- Book Reviews
- Report on the 39th Annual Meeting of the Societas Linguistica Europaea (Bremen, 30 August – 2 September 2006)
- Acknowledgements
- 40th Annual Meeting of the Societas Linguistica Europaea 29 August–1 September 2007
- Publications Received
