TY - CHAP
T1 - Locative inversion in Germanic and Romance
AU - Sluckin, Benjamin L.
AU - Cruschina, Silvio
AU - Martin, Fabienne
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - This chapter investigates locative inversion (LI) in Germanic and Romance, a subject inversion involving a preposed locative expression. LI appears in two primary types: overt LI and covert LI, where a locative reading obtains without a preposed locative. Covert LI occurs in null-subject languages, where a covert locative argument satisfies formal subject requirements. English LI is always overt, yet French only allows covert LI with verbs of appearance. Furthermore, Romance permits embedded and matrix LI, but English prohibits the former. This chapter proposes that cross-linguistic variation follows from varying conspiracies of syntactic and pragmatico-semantic factors. Firstly, verbs of appearance select a locative covert experiencer, which satisfies the French EPP. Secondly, multiple formal ingredients interact in different distributions to produce various instantiations of LI: an EPP in TP, and the ability of locatives to check: the EPP (Dutch), Subject of Predication (Italian), EPP and SoP (French), and EPP and Topichood (English).
AB - This chapter investigates locative inversion (LI) in Germanic and Romance, a subject inversion involving a preposed locative expression. LI appears in two primary types: overt LI and covert LI, where a locative reading obtains without a preposed locative. Covert LI occurs in null-subject languages, where a covert locative argument satisfies formal subject requirements. English LI is always overt, yet French only allows covert LI with verbs of appearance. Furthermore, Romance permits embedded and matrix LI, but English prohibits the former. This chapter proposes that cross-linguistic variation follows from varying conspiracies of syntactic and pragmatico-semantic factors. Firstly, verbs of appearance select a locative covert experiencer, which satisfies the French EPP. Secondly, multiple formal ingredients interact in different distributions to produce various instantiations of LI: an EPP in TP, and the ability of locatives to check: the EPP (Dutch), Subject of Predication (Italian), EPP and SoP (French), and EPP and Topichood (English).
KW - locative inversion
KW - subject of predication
KW - locative experiencer
KW - non-canonical subjecthood
KW - the EPP
KW - generative syntax
KW - inversion structures
KW - Italian
KW - English
KW - French
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/b49736ae-74f5-33e1-b3d6-e900c51b3cd5/
U2 - 10.1093/oso/9780198841166.003.0007
DO - 10.1093/oso/9780198841166.003.0007
M3 - Chapter
SN - 9780198841166
T3 - Continuity and Variation in Germanic and Romance
SP - 165
EP - 192
BT - Continuity and Variation in Germanic and Romance
A2 - Wolfe, S.
A2 - Meklenborg, C.
PB - Oxford University Press
ER -