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- Title
Existential sentences in Tagalog.
- Authors
Sabbagh, Joseph
- Abstract
This paper investigates the syntax of existential sentences in Tagalog. It argues that existential sentences in Tagalog are formed on the basis of an unaccusative predicate that selects a noun phrase as its sole internal argument. The positive arguments for this analysis also argue against a small clause analysis of existential sentences in Tagalog (as proposed, for other languages, in work by Stowell , ; Chomsky , ; Safir ; Hoekstra and Mulder ; Lasnik ; Moro ; among others). Additionally, this paper argues for an analysis of the definiteness effect in which the restriction follows from the requirement that the noun phrase that occurs in existential sentences (i.e., the “pivot”) be a property denoting object. This proposal not only accounts for the class of noun phrases that are acceptable in Tagalog existential sentences, but also helps to shed light on various morphosyntactic aspects of existential sentences in the language, relating—in particular—to their impersonal clause structure, morphological case, as well as other properties.
- Subjects
SYNTAX (Grammar); TAGALOG language; LINGUISTIC analysis; PHRASE structure grammar; EXISTENTIAL theory (Communication); FOREIGN language education
- Publication
Natural Language & Linguistic Theory, 2009, Vol 27, Issue 4, p675
- ISSN
0167-806X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s11049-009-9083-3