Basque nominalizations and the role of structural Case in the licensing of null arguments

[EN] This article investigates the question of the licensing of null arguments in the so-called pro-drop languages. By focusing on the licensing of null subjects in the different types of -T(Z)E nominalizations in Basque, it aims at defining in a precise way the crucial feature that makes pro-drop possible in a clause. The central claim is that what licenses subject-drop is the assignment of structural Case. That is, it is argued that a subject can be null if and only if it is assigned structural Case. Different aspects of T(Z)E nominalizations are also explored, which show that even if these clauses are similar in the surface, they can be syntactically very different and furthermore, that infinitive clauses marked with the same nominalizing morpheme can also have diverging structures.This study has been developed thanks to the projects FFI2008-04789/FILO and FFI2011-29218 from MICINN, the projects GIC07/144-T-210-07 and HM-2009-1-1 from the Basque Government, Towards a Syntactic Atlas of the Basque Language from ANR (ANR-07-CORP-033), as well as the UFI HiTeDi (UFI11/14, UPV/EHU)

Reversing the Approach to Null Subjects: A Perspective from Language Acquisition

This paper proposes a new model for null subjects, and focuses on its implications for language development. The literature on pro-drop generally considers that not allowing null subjects is, informally speaking, the "default" option in natural languages, and appeals to particular morphosyntactic mechanisms in order to account for those languages in which the subject can be omitted. Shifting the perspective, the inverse approach postulates that pro-drop is (almost) a default grammatical setting, and that non-pro-drop results from the intervention of independent factors that block pro-drop in the derivation. The paper explores the consequences of the inverse approach in the domain of language acquisition, arguing that this model allows to account for a number of properties of child languages. It opens an avenue of research worth exploring, one that could give new solutions to old problems.The present work was made possible through funding from the Basque Government (IT769-13), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (FFI2014-53675-P, FFI2014-51675REDT), and the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (UFI11/14)

Hutsune bizkarroiak eta sasi-A’-kateak

Gehienetan arrunt bereizirik aztertzen diren bi espresio isil, argumentu isilak eta nz-mugimenduaren aztarnak (hots, kopia isilduak), modu bateratuan aztertzearen alde egiten dut lan honetan. Horretarako, bi kategoria hauen ezaugarriak batzen dituen fenomenoa aztertzen dut : hutsune bizkarroiak.Hutsune bizkarroien ezaugarri sintaktikoetatik hasirik, eta euskararen ikuspegitik begiraturik, kategoria isil hau berez izenordaina den baina nz-kopia moduan ezabatzen den osagai sintaktikoa dela proposatzen dut. Hau da, eratorpena argumentu soil izaerarekin hasten du, baina FFn kopia ezabaketarako baldintzak betetzen dituenez, hala bailitzan ezabatzen da. Horrek esplikatzen du zergatik batzen dituen izenordainen eta aldagaien ezaugarriak.Analisi honetan, izenordainak argumentu gisa ala nz-kopia gisa isil daitezen, ’berdintasun’ baldintza bakarraren mende dira. Horrek argumentu isiltze eta nz-mugimendu fenomenoaren elkargune bat existitzen dela erakusten duen heinean, funtsean fenomeno bakarraren bi aurpegi besterik ez direla iradokitzen dut. Bigarren atalak artikuluaren oinarrizko problematika azaltzen du : argumentu isilak eta nz-mugimendua Forma Fonetikoko (FF) isiltze batean oinarritzen baldin badira, orduan biak modu bateratuan aztertzea – funtsean, fenomeno bakarrera murriztea – desiragarria da kontzeptualki, eta izaera hibridoa duten hutsune bizkarroiek lagundu gaitzakete bide horretan. Hirugarren atalak hutsune bizkarroien fenomenoa aurkezten du xeheki : ezaugarri nagusiak eta literaturan proposatu izan diren azterbideak. Laugarren atalak, ondotik, euskararen ikuspegitik behatzen dio fenomeno sintaktiko honi : kategoria isil hau ikusezina dela erakutsiko dut, hizkuntza honetan argumentu isilek duten hedadura dela-eta. Bosgarren atalean, azkenik, lortu emaitzetatik abiaturik, hutsune bizkarroien analisi berri baten oinarriak garatzen ditut, A’-kateetan FFko ezabaketarako baldintza (disjuntibo) bat baino gehiago badela proposatuz. Horrek argumentu isilen eta nz-aztarnen analisi bateratuaren alde egiten duela erakusten dut. Seigarren atalak lanaren ondorioak laburbiltzen ditu

Basque nominalizations and the role of structural Case in the licensing of null arguments

[EN] This article investigates the question of the licensing of null arguments in the so-called pro-drop languages. By focusing on the licensing of null subjects in the different types of -T(Z)E nominalizations in Basque, it aims at defining in a precise way the crucial feature that makes pro-drop possible in a clause. The central claim is that what licenses subject-drop is the assignment of structural Case. That is, it is argued that a subject can be null if and only if it is assigned structural Case. Different aspects of T(Z)E nominalizations are also explored, which show that even if these clauses are similar in the surface, they can be syntactically very different and furthermore, that infinitive clauses marked with the same nominalizing morpheme can also have diverging structures.This study has been developed thanks to the projects FFI2008-04789/FILO and FFI2011-29218 from MICINN, the projects GIC07/144-T-210-07 and HM-2009-1-1 from the Basque Government, Towards a Syntactic Atlas of the Basque Language from ANR (ANR-07-CORP-033), as well as the UFI HiTeDi (UFI11/14, UPV/EHU)

Hutsune bizkarroiak eta sasi-A’-kateak

Gehienetan arrunt bereizirik aztertzen diren bi espresio isil, argumentu isilak eta nz-mugimenduaren aztarnak (hots, kopia isilduak), modu bateratuan aztertzearen alde egiten dut lan honetan. Horretarako, bi kategoria hauen ezaugarriak batzen dituen fenomenoa aztertzen dut : hutsune bizkarroiak.Hutsune bizkarroien ezaugarri sintaktikoetatik hasirik, eta euskararen ikuspegitik begiraturik, kategoria isil hau berez izenordaina den baina nz-kopia moduan ezabatzen den osagai sintaktikoa dela proposatzen dut. Hau da, eratorpena argumentu soil izaerarekin hasten du, baina FFn kopia ezabaketarako baldintzak betetzen dituenez, hala bailitzan ezabatzen da. Horrek esplikatzen du zergatik batzen dituen izenordainen eta aldagaien ezaugarriak.Analisi honetan, izenordainak argumentu gisa ala nz-kopia gisa isil daitezen, ’berdintasun’ baldintza bakarraren mende dira. Horrek argumentu isiltze eta nz-mugimendu fenomenoaren elkargune bat existitzen dela erakusten duen heinean, funtsean fenomeno bakarraren bi aurpegi besterik ez direla iradokitzen dut. Bigarren atalak artikuluaren oinarrizko problematika azaltzen du : argumentu isilak eta nz-mugimendua Forma Fonetikoko (FF) isiltze batean oinarritzen baldin badira, orduan biak modu bateratuan aztertzea – funtsean, fenomeno bakarrera murriztea – desiragarria da kontzeptualki, eta izaera hibridoa duten hutsune bizkarroiek lagundu gaitzakete bide horretan. Hirugarren atalak hutsune bizkarroien fenomenoa aurkezten du xeheki : ezaugarri nagusiak eta literaturan proposatu izan diren azterbideak. Laugarren atalak, ondotik, euskararen ikuspegitik behatzen dio fenomeno sintaktiko honi : kategoria isil hau ikusezina dela erakutsiko dut, hizkuntza honetan argumentu isilek duten hedadura dela-eta. Bosgarren atalean, azkenik, lortu emaitzetatik abiaturik, hutsune bizkarroien analisi berri baten oinarriak garatzen ditut, A’-kateetan FFko ezabaketarako baldintza (disjuntibo) bat baino gehiago badela proposatuz. Horrek argumentu isilen eta nz-aztarnen analisi bateratuaren alde egiten duela erakusten dut. Seigarren atalak lanaren ondorioak laburbiltzen ditu

Basque nominalizations and the role of structural Case in the licensing of null arguments

[EN] This article investigates the question of the licensing of null arguments in the so-called pro-drop languages. By focusing on the licensing of null subjects in the different types of -T(Z)E nominalizations in Basque, it aims at defining in a precise way the crucial feature that makes pro-drop possible in a clause. The central claim is that what licenses subject-drop is the assignment of structural Case. That is, it is argued that a subject can be null if and only if it is assigned structural Case. Different aspects of T(Z)E nominalizations are also explored, which show that even if these clauses are similar in the surface, they can be syntactically very different and furthermore, that infinitive clauses marked with the same nominalizing morpheme can also have diverging structures.This study has been developed thanks to the projects FFI2008-04789/FILO and FFI2011-29218 from MICINN, the projects GIC07/144-T-210-07 and HM-2009-1-1 from the Basque Government, Towards a Syntactic Atlas of the Basque Language from ANR (ANR-07-CORP-033), as well as the UFI HiTeDi (UFI11/14, UPV/EHU)