Unaccusatives with Double Themes

Abstract

Against the standard feature approach to theta roles, this squib argues that theta roles are assigned in logical form (LF). The empirical phenomenon under discussion is a special subtype of external possession where the possessum must be body part expressions. Following Zhong (2024), this possessum restriction is considered an epiphenomenon of a thematic assignment to the possessor where the possessor takes on an additional theme role. As such, both the possessor and the possessum serve as theme in the same event, a scenario that is possible only with body part expressions. As I further argue, this assignment of theme role is not mediated through any (applicative) head bearing a thematic feature, but is assigned by a possessive head. Specifically, a possessive head has displaced into the verb; a possessive head is capable of assigning thematic role by thematically identifying with a thematic relation in its sister head. In a sisterhood with a verb, the possessive head identifies with that verb and assigns its possessor argument a 2nd theme role. In this process, the thematic assignment shows strong context sensitivity and is best understood as a post-syntactic operation